Replay
by StakeTheHeart
Summary: I never thought I'd be where I am now when I took my sister's place in that showcase. It definitely brought changes I didn't expect. But now that I'm here, I wouldn't change it for the world.
1. Pilot

**This is tentative at best. I don't know how often it will be updated but I'm going to try and get it done eventually. This is basically my attempt at making the Victorious episodes, really the whole show, Jori based. I thought, what better day to start than the anniversary of the ending of the show? Sad but true.**

* * *

**~Tori~**

It was strange, but suddenly and without warning, I was dragged into a series of events that might possibly change my life forever. It all started the day I was working with my partner on a school project. We were busy cataloging mold on a mold bush when Trina, my older and according to her, more talented, sister came barging in. She complained about her big showcase for the millionth time. Her partner Andre, who she kept calling Andrew, had come over soon after and I was roped into helping them rehearse every day since. By the time the big showcase actually came around, Trina was unable to do it.

She had used a Chinese herb gargle she found on the internet in hopes of making her sing better. It failed like most things Trina tried, resulting in an allergic reaction that engorged her tongue and made it throb erratically. Andre was determined to keep the show going and volunteered me against my will to fill in for my sister's part. I had fought, literally, to get away but there were just too many people fighting back and soon I was dressed for the part and pushed on stage. Yeah, I was scared at first, but a strange confidence quickly fell over me as I let myself get lost in the music. It was at that moment in time when I knew I had what it took to be a student in Hollywood Arts. I was enrolled after everyone encouraged me that it was the right choice.

* * *

My 1st day at  
Hollywood Arts. EPIC!

Mood = Freaking

* * *

Here I was, entering the school along with my sister. We walked into a bright and colorful hallway that I began to study immediately. Students surrounded the place, dancing, playing music, and talking among other things. Trina turned and raised her arms.

"See, it's just a high school," she said nonchalantly. I looked around in awe.

"Uhh, this is not just a high school. These kids are all artsy, and creative, and talented and I'm just…normal," I disagreed, my hands gesturing at everything before dropping to my sides.

"It's ok. There's nothing wrong with being average," Trina assured me. She held onto my arm in what she believed to be comforting. I only nodded.

"Anyway, you're not alone. I gotcha back," she continued with a smile. Relief flooded my features.

"Ok, so-" I began, but at that moment a girl ran up and called to her.

"Trina, Eric Carlson got his hair straightened!" she shared.

"Shut up!" Trina exclaimed, both girls getting excited. She ran off immediately, leaving me to feebly try to call her back.

"I'm alone!" I shouted at her retreating form. I knew my sister wouldn't really have stayed with me. I could hope but it just wasn't happening. I stood awkwardly in the middle of the hall, trying to figure out what to do when a girl with a shock of red hair came down the steps. I was pretty sure it wasn't her natural hair color.

"Hey, um, can you tell me-" I began when the redhead jumped into action upon seeing me.

"Oh my gosh, you're Tori right?" she exclaimed happily.

"Uh huh," I replied with a smile.

"You were so awesome in the big showcase," the little redhead complemented energetically.

"Aww thanks," I replied.

"My name's Cat," she introduced herself.

"Oh, like the animal," I realized.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cat asked; her face turning into one that was deeply offended. She even took a few steps away. I was immediately taken aback at her behavior.

"Nothing, I-I love cats," I tried to amend with a wave of my hand. Cat was instantly happy again.

"Me too, they're so cute," she agreed, abruptly turning to walk away. My smile slowly slid from my face, wondering what to do now. I was lucky to see someone I recognized at the big showcase. It was the strange curly haired boy with the puppet.

"Hey, um, uh," I tried to say.

"Hi," he replied, but his eyes suddenly got big when he realized who he was talking to.

"Hey, hello, female, yes?" he began to babble. He shared a look with the puppet he held. I was a little hesitant now, but I needed someone to show me where to go so he would have to do.

"Can you tell me where Mr. Sikowitz's classroom is?" I asked, my eyebrows furrowing at the weird name.

"Ok, um, if you head due north for about thirty paces and-" he began nervously. He was silenced when the puppet in his hands began to speak up.

"Paces? Man the girl's not a pirate," it said in a tone that told the boy he wasn't helping. Why did it have an urban accent? I looked on in puzzled worry. What had I gotten myself into?

"This is none of your business," the boy protested but the puppet ignored him.

"Sikowitz, down the hall, swing a left at the water fountain, second door on your right," the puppet told me. The boy reservedly let the puppet talk for him. I gave him a strange look.

"Thank you," I said uncertainly, moving around him to get to class.

"Whatever it takes cupcake," I heard the puppet say. I swung back around to lift an eyebrow at the boy. He shook his head and pointed at the puppet like it was the doll's fault. I had nothing more to say to that so I left.

* * *

Can't find classroom! This  
school LOOKS SO COOL,  
but still…NERVOUS.

Mood = Anxious

* * *

I finally found the classroom I was looking for and pushed open the door. I checked to make sure I had the right room by looking at the matching room number on my schedule. I looked around carefully and let out a breath before moving to an open chair. I shoved my schedule into my bag and set it down by a chair. I was too busy looking at the floor to know someone was right behind me until it was too late. I swung around, my hand knocking a coffee cup out of a pale hand. The beverage spilled all over. I backed up hastily, even though it was a futile effort.

"Oh my gosh!" I exclaimed, fidgeting where I stood. The other person had yet to say a thing. I finally got the guts to look up and see who I had stumbled into, piercing blue-green eyes staring back at me. Boy, did she look wazzed. The piercings and shadowy make-up were not helping me feel any better about my chances of living.

"I'm sorry, I spilled coffee on your-here let me-" I stuttered, rushing to try and fix the damage. I pulled on my sleeve and hurriedly began to rub off the coffee running down the other girl's clothes. She remained stone still, eyeing me with cold hatred that made me inwardly cringe.

"Hold on, I think it's all off," I commented, working to right the wrong.

"You're making it worse," the girl growled. Her tone made me look up worriedly. The door opened behind us and a lithe tanned boy with fluffy black hair walked in. He paused at the site before him, a small smile tugging at his easy going features.

"You seem to be having fun Jade," he commented to the girl. Meanwhile, I had frozen in mid-wipe. The girl, I now knew was named Jade, smacked my arm away.

"Oh, I-I just spilled coffee-" I struggled to explain to him.

"I see that," the guy spoke softly, his lips thinning into a knowing smile. He was almost teasing with the way he looked at Jade. He shared another look with her before she frowned and walked over to him.

"Don't start Beck. I know what you're thinking," Jade told him sternly. He glanced at me quickly before moving to take a seat. Jade watched him go before taking the seat next to him and shot me one last look. Beck shrugged and looked away, acting unaffected by the interaction between Jade and I. They were over it so I decided to move on too. God, I hoped I didn't get myself into too much trouble on my first day here.

**~Jade~**

Yes, I hadn't murdered the girl for her mistake, yet, but it didn't mean anything. To Beck it probably did. If I didn't hate someone it obviously meant I must like them, or so he thought. I knew when he was subtly trying to coax me into making friends but I didn't want to. Not with the new girl at least. I stupidly confided to him that I found her attractive ever since seeing her in the big showcase. Even though I told him it was nothing he still didn't want to let it go. I knew he wouldn't. We knew each other since elementary school and became good friends but it still shocked Beck to later find out in freshman year of high school that he didn't quite know everything about me. I had only found out myself the previous year. It took me some time but I eventually told Beck who apparently had a crush on me since we met. Knowing that he had to work harder for my attention seemed to make our relationship…interesting to say the least. He accepted that I didn't hold the same feelings for him because I was admittedly still coming to terms with myself so he offered to 'date' me as a safe cover up until I was ready. He was such a gentleman he even told me that he would happily let me go should I choose someone else over him. Needless to say, he became my best friend and confidant.

It was also really fun to play a couple. I loved tormenting people with my 'jealously'. I smirked at the thought. That day at the showcase might have been a mistake on my part. I agreed to go check it out with him because Andre would be performing and he was Beck's friend. But the moment Victoria Vega graced the stage I knew I was hooked. I hated to admit the, unknown at the time, girl would be a pretty good singer. Interest in anything was more work for Beck who took every opportunity to make me happy whether it was with him or not. He had an annoying knack of playing matchmaker or teasing me. He was a bit obsessive but his constant work in being the calm and collected hero in everyone else's eyes kept him under the radar. I just dealt with him. Beck was Beck and I wasn't looking to change him. Neither did I have the heart to tell him it would never work with us but I think he already came to that conclusion. It was safe to say I loved Beck but just not in the way I should. I came to the present just as Beck slung an arm over my shoulder. Before I could shoot another glare at Vega, if not to remind myself to stay away, the door at the front of the room flew open and Sikowitz burst in.

**~Tori~**

I forced myself to ignore the tension that had taken over the room when Jade came into contact with me. I was just glad Beck rescued me. I honestly felt like she would murder me where I stood. Was it weird that all I could think about when I looked up at her was overwhelming fear as well as admiration? She was beautiful too. The thought made me blush slightly but my attention went elsewhere when the door burst open and our teacher swept in.

"Oh my God there's a huge fire!" he shouted, pointing out at the hall behind him. I looked on with wide eyes and jumped to my feet. The classroom erupted into chaos which he tried to calm down.

"Kidding! Kidding! Kidding!" he yelled over the mayhem, waving his arms to get everyone's attention.

"Just wanted to get your blood pumping, which I did. Ha!" he explained, pumping his fist in triumph. I looked at the crazy teacher, wondering how anyone that joked about such a serious situation was even a teacher before taking my seat.

"Alright, now let's get started. Rumps in chairs," he stated, taking off his bag to throw it aside.

"This is our teacher?" I questioned Andre who sat down next to me. We had taken the front seats. I was just glad to have someone I knew and was comfortable with; especially after already wazzing someone off.

"First I would like to introduce our new student. I'd like to thank Tori for her generous gift of two dollars which she handed to me this morning. Not necessary but much appreciated," he began. At the mention of that I stiffened in embarrassment.

"Why'd you give him two dollars?" Andre asked, generally curious.

"I thought he was homeless," I defended myself. I gave my attention to our teacher, intent on dropping the subject. Andre finally looked away.

"Now today we are going to continue our study in group improv. Tori, I assume you're familiar with improv," he said, pointing to me. I sat up straight at the sound of my name.

"Uh, well, yes and no," I responded hesitantly, feeling like an idiot. By now I was aware of all the stares I was getting.

"What does that mean?" Sikowitz asked me. I hoped he wouldn't ask, but he did, so I relented.

"No," I corrected.

"Ok, crash course; improv, acting without a script. Which means the actors must make up their own actions and dialog as they perform the scene, understood," he explained, walking around and mimicking what he talked about. I tried to ask him something further on the topic but he cut me off.

"Excellent! Jade, you will captain the first group of the day. Choose your actors," he continued in his booming voice. I was surprised to see none other than the girl I had bumped into earlier walk up to the front of the room. She stood on the mini stage, her stance stern and commanding while looking bored and at ease at the same time. She sighed and began, pointing out each person as she spoke.

"Cat, Eli, Beck…and Tori," she said, her gaze landing on me. She smirked in a way that I knew meant this was payback for what happened earlier. My eyes widened and I looked at Andre for help. He only gestured for me to do as the scary girl said so I reluctantly stood to join the others on the mini stage.

"Ok, let's give them a place," Sikowitz said with a hand on his chin.

"Home!" the curly haired puppet boy shouted from the side of the room.

"Home," Sikowitz repeated, moving to write it down on the board.

"Oh, really creative," the puppet mocked.

"You be quiet," the boy replied, pointing a finger at the puppet on his lap. With a flick of his hand, the puppet smacked the boy across the face and he flinched.

"Ow!" he cried out, holding his face. I watched him, still at a loss whether I should call him crazy or unique. I caught Andre smiling though so he must not be all that weird.

"Ok, and now we need a situation," Sikowitz continued.

"Big news," Andre supplied.

"Andre, nobody wants to see big nudes," our teacher replied with a disapproving expression. Everyone looked at him questioningly.

"Big news," Andre repeated clearly.

"Ah, well that's different. Big news," he exclaimed, rushing to add that to the board. I was beginning to think our teacher may be pretty entertaining when Jade walked over to me. I was instantly uncomfortable again for two different reasons. Was it at all possible to feel afraid and awed of someone at the same time?

"Why don't you wait in the hall?" she suggested, pointing me in the right direction.

"Um, ok," I relented, not knowing what the girl was up to but new to the situation so I just went with it. Everyone here already had a place and knew what to do so even though I wasn't completely comfortable with the idea, I gave Jade the benefit of the doubt. I was never one to judge a book by its cover after all so I walked out the door as I was told to do.

"Ok, at home, big news, and action!" Sikowitz yelled, rushing past me as I left. As soon as we started, I felt uneasy. I was trying to follow what was happening but my thoughts took hold and I could only barely understand what was going on. Whatever Jade had planned, it didn't feel right. She seemed a little intimidating and daunting, and her features were distracting but I had to show these people I belonged here just as much as they did. Wait, distracting? In what way? I was about to delve deeper into what that thought could possibly mean when Jade stomped over. I snapped to attention just as she grabbed me by the arm and towed me into the room.

**~Jade~**

I pulled Vega back up on stage, eager to see how long she would last. Yes, I thought she was attractive and had talent but she had to show me if she had the will to fight back. Did she really belong here or was she just like her annoyingly talentless sister?

"I went to the animal shelter and got us…a dog," I stated, letting her go. I had a reputation to keep up as well as keeping this newbie from gaining ground on me. I flashed a sly smirk at her before standing by Beck. Vega looked around anxiously. I knew she was probably having a hard time finding what to do about the situation.

"Uh, yep, I'm the new family dog…woof," she said uncertainly. Andre scrutinized her from where he sat, making me raise a brow in amusement. This was going to be good, I could tell.

"Sikowitz, can you please tell this amateur that dogs can't talk and that they don't walk on two legs," I demanded, glancing at Vega superiorly. When I didn't get an answer I frowned.

"Sikowitz!" I yelled, forcing him to answer. I saw Vega jump at my tone. Most people probably hadn't heard anyone talk to a teacher that way but I wasn't just anyone. Sikowitz stood and held up his coconut.

"Oh, I'm sorry I was sucking the milk out of this coconut," he responded. I glared and waved away the excuse. No one even reacted to his comment. We all were used to his eccentricities.

"But it's true Tori. If you're gonna play a dog, be a dog," Sikowitz finally answered. Vega looked at him with a raised eyebrow but I knew he was completely serious. I glanced over at her with my smirk in place. She sighed but reluctantly got down on her hands and knees. It must have felt belittling; exactly what I was going for. She strained to replace her smile and added a happy 'woof'. Not bad Vega.

"And action!" Sikowitz said with a dramatic point of his finger.

"I went to the animal shelter and got us a dog," I said, picking up where we left off with ease. Cat and Eli rushed to crowd her, petting her happily like any children would do. Now she must feel more than degraded at this point.

"Can the dog sleep in our room?" Beck asked; a tone to his voice that I knew to be taunting and not innocent like he made it seem. My eyes widened at the statement before narrowing at him.

"No honey, it can't," I shot back. Beck swayed away from me with a nonchalant expression while Andre grinned. I gave Beck one last warning look before standing by Vega.

"Uh oh, looks like this dog has bugs in her fur," I stated, reaching out to pluck at a strand of her hair. Vega looked uncertain but forced out another 'woof'. Cat and Eli whined as they backed away from her. I didn't look at all worried though. Beck watched with a calculating gaze. He might be putting things together but I let him. He couldn't stop me. I messed with everyone before deeming them worth my time because that was just how I did things. Beck knew this and sometimes tried to stop me. But not this time.

"Oh it's ok. I read on the internet that coffee is great for getting rid of fur bugs," I said matter-of-factly, walking off stage to snag a cup of iced coffee from a nearby classmate before returning. I was working on taking off the top when Beck held out a hand.

"Maybe you shouldn't…umm," he disagreed haltingly. And there it was.

"Jade," Andre called to me but I ignored him. Vega sat hunched over, possibly wondering what in the world I was going to do to her when I dumped the coffee. The cold, sticky, beverage ran down her face and clothes before a few ice cubes followed. She stood slowly and turned to look at me, clearly appalled. I smirked and held the now empty cup.

"What's the prob…dog?" I inquired; a faux innocent tone smearing into one that held hatred. I couldn't let her get too close. This was the only way. Beck stood back, giving me a look of disappointment mixed with something else. I ignored him, turning away to see Vega's face crumple in confusion.

**~Tori~**

I stood, at a loss for words, a low whine escaping me, before I ran for the door. To think I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. Someone who looked the way she did wasn't necessarily a mean person, but it seems I guessed wrong. Jade was a very mean person. What did I even do to her to get this treatment? I rushed back out into the hall, wiping my coffee soaked hair out of my face as I went. I sat myself down on the stairs and pulled out my phone, ready to go home. A slam next to me made me turn and come face to face with someone's red clad butt. I screamed in shock and scurried away. The dancers who caused the outburst gave me a look. It was then when Andre came around the corner looking for me.

"Hey, what are you doin'?" he questioned.

"Calling my mom to tell her I want to go back to my old school," I replied, my voice indicating I was close to tears even when I tried to keep them back. I approached Andre who stood strong.

"Why?" he questioned.

"Because I don't like having black coffee in my hair!" I replied in obvious frustration.

"Then I'll get you some cream and sugar then everything will be chill," he replied calmly. I gave him a look that told him now was not the time to joke. I found my mom's number and called.

"Hey mom, I need to-" I began, but Andre snatched the phone away.

"Nah uh, nope," he said as he crammed the device in his pocket.

"Gimme back my mom!" I demanded; my voice getting a little stronger but my eyes remaining put out.

"You're going to quit this school on your first day just because of one mean girl?" he commented unbelievably. I threw up my hands.

"It's not just her, it's just I don't fit in here with all this," I corrected, waving my arms at the hall around us.

"Oh come on, this place isn't that different from other schools," Andre disagreed.

"Oh, yeah, like regular schools have improv classes with-with barefoot teachers and nerds with puppets and bipolar cats and mean girls that make you bark like a dog!" I ranted, my arms waving animatedly to prove my point. Who was he to say any differently? Andre didn't have time to answer because at that moment the nerd with the puppet showed up.

"Uh guys-" he started; only to be finished by the puppet.

"Sikowitz wants you both back in class," it cut in.

"He wanted me to tell them!" the boy exclaimed. I was not amused.

"See, this doesn't happen at my old school," I pointed out, gesturing to the boy but looking at Andre. He looked at the boy too.

"Will you guys be cool?" he asked.

"Him, be cool?" the puppet asked before laughing. I put a hand on my hip and rolled my eyes. I really wasn't in the mood for this.

"You're a demon!" the nerd yelled at the puppet. Cat came skidding around the corner suddenly.

"You guys; Sikowitz really wants everybody back in class," she told us, her hands swinging down to emphasis it.

"And you really wanted a date to the prom last year but you didn't get one did ya?" the rude puppet countered. Cat deflated a little and I glanced at Andre who closed his eyes at the insanity of it all before looking back at me.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cat shouted, highly offended.

"Rex!" the nerd reprimanded. So that was the horrible thing's name. I was unsure whether any of this was healthy for the kid.

"Tell your puppet to quit being me to me!" Cat demanded.

"Don't call him a puppet! That's an offensive term!" he replied angrily.

"Yeah, this school's pretty normal," I interjected, patting Andre on the back before throwing in the towel and walking away. Andre had enough too but he wasn't giving up.

"Just please go back to class and tell Sikowitz we'll be there in a minute?"" he pleaded.

"You better hurry," Cat said before taking off.

"Yeah," Rex added. The boy gave him a glare.

"I was gonna say 'yeah'!" he yelled, turning to leave as well. Andre and I listened to them bicker down the hall before it was just us again. I crossed my arms, giving Andre my best peeved off expression.

"Ok, this school's not normal," he admitted.

"Really?" I replied with an exaggerated roll of my eyes.

"You're not normal either. I've seen what you can do on stage. You're special. You're fantastic. You belong at this school," he said with certainty. I looked him in the eyes as he spoke, wanting to believe what he said but finding it hard to. He stepped away with a sigh, heading back to class, stopping at the end of the hall to turn around.

"Normal's boring," he told me. He clasped his hands hopefully and then finally turned to leave. I stood there, contemplating what he said, when Cat bounded back up to me.

"It's true," she stated, slightly sad.

"That normal's boring?" I asked, confused.

"No, that no one asked me to the prom!" she exclaimed before running off. I was officially frustrated with the whole situation. I sighed and headed back to get my stuff and leave.

* * *

Worst day ever.  
GOING HOME

Mood = Wrecked

* * *

I eventually got my wish of going home. I got a hold of my mom when I returned to class to collect my things. I was picked up promptly after that. I poured out everything that happened to me on the way home while my mom comforted me. She left for work after that, leaving me alone to think about the day. Later, I pulled out my laptop to lounge on the couch with some popcorn. I logged onto The Slap and began watching the video of me performing at the big showcase. All the while, Andre's words rang in my head. Trina walked over and plopped next to me, taking out her ear buds as she did. I hit the volume down and turned to her.

"You know, you're actually not terrible," Trina told me softly. I only nodded with a sad sigh. I hit stop on the video while Trina shook her head.

"You're really going to quit Hollywood Arts?" she asked, actually concerned.

"What do you think I should do?" I responded heavily.

"I think you should come back," Trina replied incredulously.

"Why?" I questioned.

"So I won't be known as the girl with the lame little sister who quit on her first day," she replied, giving me a light shove. The comment was so Trina I couldn't help but crack a grin. She smiled too and got up to leave but stopped and turned around at the stairs.

"And…I think you were really good in the big showcase," she added sincerely. I smiled, always touched when Trina said things like that and meant it.

"Thanks Treen," I replied softly. Trina nodded and smiled brightly again.

"But I would have been _amazing_," she sing-songed with a pose before she climbed the stairs. I shook my head, glad to have Trina lighten the mood a little. I turned back to the computer and leaned my head on my hand in thought. Going back would mean having to face everything again; my insecurities, the weird activities, and that mean chick. Although, going back would show everyone I was a fighter; that I didn't back down. I had to go back. There was no other choice.

* * *

**Tori Vega** is feeling…conflicted.

Mood = Lost

* * *

The next day I got ready to attend Hollywood Arts. I decided I wasn't a quitter. No one and nothing would scare me away from what I wanted. I walked down the almost empty halls, slightly late but still showing up. I walked in, worried but determined. My eyes landed immediately on Jade who sat in the back like before. She looked pissed. Probably because I had the nerve to come back. I had a feeling Jade was probably used to getting what she wanted. I stared back at her, letting her know I wasn't running away.

"Tori, you're back. You ever thought about coming through the window?" Sikowitz addressed me. I felt confused but I answered anyway.

"No," I said, my eyebrows still furrowed.

"Think about it. Now sit, sit," he told me, gesturing to an empty chair. I complied and got comfortable. Beck shot me what looked to be a reassuring smile and then glanced back at Jade who was busy looking at me with a calculating, emotionless, gaze. I would show her I was just as capable as her.

**~Jade~**

I had been watching Vega since she stepped in the room. I was only a little surprised she showed up. I mean, this was what I was testing her for and she passed. She was a fighter. If she wasn't she would have ran home crying and never come back. I gave up trying to understand what made her return to look back at Sikowitz.

"Now today we're going to do some alphabetical improv. What is alphabetical improve you ask, so I answer. It's when we give a letter for the first actor who speaks in the scene. If we use the letter 'A' as an example then the actor must make his first word start with the letter 'A' which might go something like…" Sikowitz lectured, stopping to point to Beck as he paced around the room.

"Apples are falling out of my butt," Beck supplied, pointing back at our teacher. Sikowitz gave him a look.

"Lovely, now the next actor who speaks must start his line with the next letter in the alphabet. In this case 'B', so he might say…" he stated, clapping his hands on Andre's shoulders.

"Bring those apples so that we may all enjoy the fresh fruit from Beck's butt," he supplied. Sikowitz nodded and slapped his shoulders once before moving on.

"Charming, now who wants to lead the first group?" he asked the class. Vega's attention kicked into gear as she raised her hand quickly.

"I do," she said confidently. Everyone turned to look at her. I raised a curious brow while Beck tilted his head curiously next to me.

"Alright Tori; choose your actors," Sikowitz agreed. I let my eyes burn into her as she waltzed up on the stage.

"Ok, Andre, Cat, Beck…and Jade," she decided with an inclination of her head and a smirk. I raised an eyebrow at her, interested to see what she was up to. I hardly thought she was capable of payback if she crumbled so easy the other day but she continued to impress me. Hell no, not that. She just wasn't the usual weakling. Damn, that was a compliment too. To cover my conflict I just glared at her stubbornly.

"Yeah, you," she shot at me to show she wasn't mistaken. Maybe she did have a backbone. I stood and joined the others, my interest in the matter increasing. I brushed past her, close enough to hide what I planned to do next. I wouldn't say it was cheating, because our mini battle wasn't apparent to others, maybe besides Beck who knew me enough, but if asked I would be happy to say I was just seeing how well she stayed on her toes. With this thought, I let my hand skim over Vega's backside as I took my place next to Beck. She jumped slightly at the contact but remained impassive. A slight blush colored her cheeks but her tan complexion did a good job of covering it. I grinned and pulled Beck into a kiss before she could see my expression and to avert her eyes. She looked away at the sign of affection between us just as I had thought she would do.

"Jade, kiss your boyfriend on your own time," Sikowitz chided, arms crossed and face scrunched as he walked away. I rolled my eyes at the somewhat questioning look on Beck's face when he pulled away. Vega glanced over at us once in a while, her eyes analyzing the situation. I didn't care about what happened while Beck did. I knew he was scrambling to figure out what I was trying to hide this time seeing as that was my go-to cover up. I waited with crossed arms, my eyes flicking to Vega only once.

"Ok, if you start your line with the wrong letter you're out," Sikowitz began. He slammed his foot on an empty chair.

"Robbie, give us a letter," he demanded of the boy with the puppet. God I hated that thing since I first met him. Cat was the one to befriend him. Figures she would find another weirdo. I didn't mind him so much because as much as Cat denied it, I could see she liked Robbie.

"'P'!" Rex shouted before Robbie could.

"'P'!" Sikowitz repeated.

"Oh, I was going to say 'P'!" Robbie exclaimed. He frowned at the puppet and then returned his attention to the stage.

"Ok, the scene can be about anything you want. The first letter of the first line is 'P'. Tori, action," he said, pointing to her. She immediately rounded on me. Now was the time to get even but I didn't think she would throw herself head long into it. I am seriously not impressed. I couldn't dwell on my questionable thoughts because she had begun the exercise.

"Please take a shower," she stated evenly, pointing at me. I let my harsh reply snap back at her. I was in my element now.

"Quit telling me what to do," I responded, hands on my hips.

"Relax girls, let's all try to get along," Beck said next, placing a hand on my arm. I glared at him for trying to ease the tension and turned back around to crank it up. Beck never agreed with how I did things but he knew he couldn't stop me. This was why he usually gave in with a sigh.

"Totally!" Cat yelled, Sikowitz making a buzzer sound at her.

"Cat, your line had to start with an 'S'," he told her.

"Salami!" she cried out. I shook my head while Vega watched in more confusion. Cat was just…how I became her friend I just don't know. Maybe because she was a constant source of entertainment.

"It's too late Cat," he replied.

"Aww my life's the worst!" she cried out.

"Here's a piece of candy," Sikowitz amended calmly, holding it up.

"Yay I love candy!" Cat cheered, rushing to obtain the treat before sitting down.

"Alright Andre, letter 'S' to you," Sikowitz said, turning back to us.

"Something just bit my toe," Andre stated, gesturing to his foot.

"Turtle, that turtle just bit his toe!" Vega yelled, running over to point at his foot.

"Unbelievable that you're even here," I cuttingly added, stepping forward.

"Very immature of you to say that," Beck told me, walking over to face me disapprovingly. There he goes trying to stop me again. I looked away from him, keeping my attention on Vega. Our disagreements did do a good job at making us look like a bickering couple, something that completed the effect of us being together.

"Uhh," Andre struggled, bringing our three way staring to an end.

"Come on Andre 'W'!" Sikowitz encouraged.

"What if the turtle bite broke my toe bone?" he finally asked with some trouble.

"X-rays are the only way to find out," Vega answered; quick to carry on.

"You should shut up," I snapped, trying to throw her off her game.

"Zap! I just healed your toe with my magic finger," Beck continued.

"Thanks," Andre replied. Sikowitz made the buzzer sound again.

"Andre your line had to start with an 'A'. Sit down," he told him, pointing at the chairs.

"Aww and I just got my toe bone fixed," he pouted, going to his seat. Vega and Beck patted his back as he went.

"Tori, letter 'A' to you," Sikowitz said with an arm motion.

"Aliens are the only ones who could heal toes with finger zapping," she supplied.

"By the way…" I said next, followed by a rude noise at her. She rolled her eyes and Beck's frown returned. Childish, yes, but I was starting to have a little fun. It seemed the meaner I was the more Beck was uncomfortable. I would explain to him later my intentions but for now he had to wait.

"Correct, I am an alien," Beck admitted, staying on topic. Vega gasped, adding to the acting. I rolled my eyes. She's actually getting into this.

"Oh a twist!" Sikowitz said, excitement in his eyes.

"Don't hurt me, please," Vega begged, stepping towards Beck. His attention went to her quickly. I glanced between them, silently wondering what was going on with him only using my eyes.

"Even though she's extremely annoying," I pointed out, finally getting him to look at me to see the question in my eyes. He shrugged imperceptibly before going back to the scene.

"Fainting, because I can't breathe, your Earth air," he gasped, closing his eyes and slowly falling to the floor. Vega grabbed for his arm, concern in her gaze. I found that my teeth were grinding against each other. Why did her fake concern bug me? Beck finally fell to the floor, effectively taking him out of the scene. It was just me and Vega now.

"Gosh, it fainted," she continued.

"Hey, why don't you go jump off that cliff over there?" I told her, a big, fake smile on my face. I was not backing down. On the contrary I was going to try harder now that Beck was out of the way. I know he meant well and was constantly trying to tell me I could make friends without this convoluted game I played but the fact was, this way was just too much fun. Whoever couldn't handle it couldn't be a friend of mine.

"I think you should," she retorted, a similar smile on her own face. She clasped her hands in front of her calmly. Fiery isn't she? But she has to try harder than that.

"Just where did you come from?" I demanded, a hand on my hip.

"Kangaroos," she replied easily.

"Lousy animals, kangaroos; they're awkward and dirty," I informed her, sauntering across the stage. She turned to keep me in her sight. I smirked, knowing she didn't trust me.

"Maybe they learned from you," she retorted, a confident smile slowly appearing on her face. The class 'oohhed' at the jab but I kept going.

"No one talks to me like that," I ground out, unable to repress my irritation. She was bending not long ago and now she was completely in control. I wanted to hate her and admire her at the same time then hate her some more for admiring her.

"Obviously someone should," she snapped, crossing her arms.

"Please run in front of a bus!" I commanded; my anger and irritation mounting.

"Quite obnoxious of you to say," she commented, still unwavering.

"Really?" I asked; my hands on my hips. I didn't like that this new girl was slinging everything back at me when just yesterday she ran out at the first sign of trouble. When the hell did she get a backbone? I kind of liked it even though her standing up to me wazzed me off.

"Sure was," she responded snippily.

"Thanks," I replied sarcastically, dragging out the word.

"Up your nose I see boogers," she stated, her arms uncrossing so that she stood straight.

"Very clever," I seethed.

"Wish you thought of it?" she questioned with a tilt of her head. She was surprisingly at ease and I was slowly losing it. I was aware of it but I couldn't stop it. I wasn't known for my patience or losing, after all.

"X marks the spot I'd like to punch," I yelled, jabbing a finger in her face.

"Your finger smells weird," she stuttered, slightly thrown off at the violence of my words but continuing. I dropped my hand to clench both into fists.

"Zero is what you are on a scale from one to ten," I replied, walking past her again.

"And back to the letter 'A'," Sikowitz instructed but we ignored him, lost in the heated exchange. We were already into the activity as far as we could go. I about faced to maintain eye contact, inwardly thrilling at the thought of a worthy opponent. Vega was looking to be a major pain in the neck, among other things.

"As if I care what you think!" she shouted.

"Better watch yourself," I warned.

"Can't take it?" she shot back. The utter calm on her face while I grew angry just pushed me more. When had anyone ever made me feel this threatened?

"Don't push me!" I demanded forcefully but my voice held slight worry. I was losing my edge and we both knew it.

"Eat your pants!" she exclaimed with a smile of triumph. She saw the chink in my armor and fought harder. She knew she had me. My next response proved it. I wasn't thinking and couldn't stop the burst of anger; my famous temper.

"You eat your pants! Wait!" I yelled, no longer in control and trying to backpedal. I flung out an arm but I knew it was too late. Sikowitz made the buzzer noise.

"Sorry Jade, the next letter was…" he began.

"'F', I know!" I shouted, my face in utter distress. I lost a perfectly good opportunity to cuss Vega out. A situation Sikowitz was probably glad was averted. I shot a heated glare full of hate at Vega before stomping back to my seat. She won and I lost. I didn't know what to think.

"Hey, the alien's moving," Andre spoke up, clearly entertained by what was happening. I kept my steady but fuming gaze on the stage, wondering where the end would go.

"Keep the scene going; letter 'G'," Sikowitz told the last two actors.

"Get up alien," Vega told Beck, helping him from the floor.

"Head, feels dizzy," he sighed, blinking his eyes and shaking his head. It was then I noticed her smile. If I didn't know any better I would have thought it was mischievous.

"I know what would make you feel better," she told him. I looked on with wide eyes, waiting to see why she had such a confident smile.

"Jumping jacks?" Beck guessed, unsure of the situation.

"Kiss me," she told him, her smile getting bigger. My hands tightened on my chair as my eyes widened further. Anger and shock struck me, preventing me from yelling or taking action. Beck wasn't really my boyfriend but hell, Vega sure did have guts to mess with me like this. Tori Vega had guts, I repeated, grudgingly impressed yet again. She is definitely going to be a pain but that just made my interest in her go up a notch. Everything was out of my control for once.

"Little weird, but let's do it," Beck responded, also taken aback by the suggestion. They leaned forward and kissed, a little longer than I felt was necessary. I didn't allow my thoughts to acknowledge the impending jealousy in the pit of my stomach. Jealousy for who, I wasn't sure, but I didn't want to know. It was making me sick just thinking about it. The class hooted and cheered while Sikowitz clapped, impressed by the turn of events. She thinks we're a couple, and to get back at me she kissed him. It worked even though I wasn't sure it was for the reasons she intended. They finally parted, Vega happy and delirious. Two could play at this game Vega. I vowed to keep up this little game. No matter how interesting she was, she was now on my personal 'People to Torment' list. Let's see how well she can keep up with Jade West. Let the tormenting begin.

**~Tori~**

"Man I love this school," I stated with a blown away smile. I never expected things to go this way when I sat sulking at home. The only thing I had to worry about at this point was Jade. I really didn't want to die yet. I wouldn't have done anything this bold if Jade hadn't started the war in the first place, but she did, so I had no choice but to defend myself. I wouldn't make the mistake of running away or showing weakness again. Beck backed away, only glancing once at Jade. He was looking at her in a way I didn't understand. Jade however was glaring daggers at back at him. If looks could kill he would have hit the floor and not gotten up no matter how many kisses he got. I met her gaze next and saw her smirk when I flinched slightly. Oh fudge, where did my confidence go? I may have lost it now that I was being picked apart, but she would see who she was messing with. She may have mistakenly taken me for a doormat but I was perfectly capable of fighting back when the situation struck me. I, Tori Vega, will not let her get the best of me if it's the last thing I do.


	2. The Bird Scene

**~Tori~**

Another day at Hollywood Arts had me listening to my sister yapping about her social life while I carried an unnecessary amount of text books and other things I needed for class. I was glad the only reason I carried them now was to put them away in my locker where they belonged. Once they were there I wouldn't have to carry them all at once again until the end of the year. Trina yelled at me constantly for being slow as we made our way in, but did she ever stop to think about helping me? No, she didn't. I moved to follow her across the parking lot when I fell, losing everything I held. I rushed to collect it all and catch up with Trina who didn't seem to notice the mishap. We entered the school, Trina barging in while I struggled with the door, dropping everything again. I picked it all up and stood with a huff. Trina demanded that I move faster yet again.

"Did you not see me fall down in the parking lot?" I demanded of her.

"It was very funny," Trina replied.

"I wasn't trying to be funny," I complained, crouching to get a book I missed when entering. Trina wasn't listening. She had just set her eyes on the new play roster which she ran over to see, making me hold her coffee on top of everything else. She pushed people out of her way as she went. Once she got her hands on one she returned to me. I was still busy struggling with my stuff.

"Oh, these are so good!" Trina exclaimed, scanning the bright orange paper. I shifted my arms, almost dropping the coffee.

"Don't spill that," Trina snapped before going back to the roster.

"What's so good?" I asked.

"The list of plays for the new semester. Oh my god I am perfect for all these," Trina replied, a hand over her heart. I rolled my eyes.

"Is Moonlight Magic on there?" I questioned, leaning over to see.

"Uh yeah, number four, why?" Trina responded.

"Andre wrote the music for it. He wants me to try out for the lead," I told her with a smile. If Trina wasn't going to help me find my way at this school then I knew Andre would definitely be the one to trust. He offered more help than my own sister. Trina went wide eyed and laughed.

"You…why?" she demanded, not believing such a thing.

"Take your coffee and go," I deadpanned, done with her for now. Trina took the beverage but was unperturbed.

"Ooh, someone fell down on the wrong side of the parking lot," she told me with a hand messing up my hair. It didn't settle well for me. I just felt like a dog again. Trina walked away while I silently watched, slightly angry. I then made the trip to my new locker where I could finally drop off the load of books I was carrying. I got halfway there when Jade came around the corner. I wasn't exactly happy to see her but at this point any help was something.

"Need some help?" she questioned in what I detected was faux concern.

"Yes," I gasped anyway; a small but hopeful smile on my face.

"Interesting," she replied, blowing past me without a look back. That was indeed the word to describe her. Jade was interesting in that I had never met a single person like her. In fact, no one even came close. I watched her go with a crestfallen expression before turning to my locker. Looks like I was on my own again. I was busy trying to pull it open and balance the pile in my arms when I heard Andre approaching. Robbie was with him. Of course he carried that dang puppet. I was quickly learning that Rex never had anything nice or helpful to say. He might even be worse than Jade, or at least come close to it.

"Hey, look who's here," Andre said, noticing me.

"Hey can you guys help me?" I asked, finally popping open the locker. They complied easily, Robbie dropping Rex in his haste to run to my aid. Rex grunted as he hit the floor. They gave me advice on organizing my locker as they helped. I thanked them. When they were done Robbie returned to pick up Rex.

"Never put me down like that again," Rex grumbled. Robbie made the puppet smack him and he cried out in pain. I don't think I'll ever get use to that.

"I was helping Tori," he defended.

"Get the gum off my forehead," Rex demanded. Robbie looked at the glob stuck to the puppet before pulling it off quickly and without complaint. Andre and I both cringed as it stretched.

"Alright my locker is filled," I announced. I swung it shut and raised my arms.

"I feel complete," I said happily. Really, I was just glad to be free of so much stuff.

"Whoa, whoa, not yet," Andre said with a shake of his head and hands.

"What?" I questioned, not seeing the problem even when I stopped to look back at it.

"You gotta customize it," Andre explained.

"Everyone at Hollywood Arts has to customize their locker," Robbie pointed out.

"Oh, well, what did you do for yours?" I asked him, looking to see what they meant.

"I made a mosaic using all the baby bottle nipples from my childhood," Robbie answered proudly. My brows furrowed at the strangeness. When no one said anything for a few seconds, Robbie began to explain.

"They remind me of a happier time," he said in defense.

"Yours?" I asked of Andre.

"Check it out," he replied, moving to show us. Robbie and I followed him around to the other side of the wall. He gestured to a locker with a keyboard for a door. He began to play a tune that got everyone's attention. They bobbed to the beat until Lane came up asking for Andre and Robbie. He mentioned a squirrel in his office to which both boys reluctantly left to help with, leaving me behind. I moved to look at my locker again, at a loss for ideas.

"I don't know what to do with my locker," I said with a sigh. I felt someone approach me from behind and I froze.

"Want to see what I did to my locker?" the nasally voice of Sinjin, the weird boy I recognized from the big showcase, said behind me. I turned to look at him, weirded out by the way he approached me. Who does that?

"I guess," I agreed, not knowing what else to say. He took a few steps and gestured to a locker under my own and to the left. It was covered in various mystery substances.

"These are pieces of food I chewed but never swallowed. I spit them out, coated them with a polyurethane resin and stuck them on here with an industrial adhesive," he told me with a nod. I remained stuck in place, looking at him with a guarded gaze, before deciding it was just best to ditch him. I darted around the corner, glad to be rid of him. Sinjin wasn't necessarily a bad guy but his strange behavior often made me uncomfortable. By the time Sikowitz's class swung around, I was happily ready to attend. It was the one class I looked forward to and dreaded at the same time. Jade was there, Beck was there, as well as Andre, Robbie, and Cat. I didn't have a proper reading on the redhead yet but I was sure I would be able to handle whatever she had to offer. I took a seat and watched Cat and Jade do a skit involving a pig as a prop. Jade was talking at the moment in a southern accent. I had to admit she was pretty good at it too.

"Betsy! Betsy! That animal's delicious flesh can keep us all alive for another week!" she insisted to Cat who kept the pig well away from Jade's reaching hand.

"I don't want to be alive without Poncie! This pig is everything to me that my daddy never was and I'll be ding-danged-" she retorted in a southern accent of her own, only for Sikowitz to peg her with a bright blue ball. She squeaked as it struck her face and she fell. We all jumped in surprise and looked at our crazy teacher. Why would he do such a thing?

"Sikowitz!" Jade said with upturned palms, demanding he explain himself.

"What?" he replied, completely ignorant of his actions. Cat jumped up off the floor, slightly swaying into Jade when she was back on her feet. The Goth didn't seem to care, I noted. Even Cat was saved from her wrath. However, concern for the redhead made my bitter thoughts slide to the back.

"You hit my face with a ball," Cat accused, holding a hand to the side of her face.

"Oh come on! A truly great actor can stay in the scene no matter what's happening around them," he told her, gesticulating with his hands.

"But it really hurts," Cat disagreed. The bell rang at that moment, making Cat happy again.

"Ooh, lunch, yay!" she exclaimed, grabbing her stuff and running for the door. Sikowitz rolled his eyes while the class got ready to leave. He yelled over the shuffling to learn our lines but we were already heading for the door. I found myself right behind Jade with Beck following behind me. I had yet to interact with her since I saw her in the hall. I contemplated getting her attention when Beck caught up to her. Andre waited at the door, holding it open.

"Hey, want to come to lunch with us?" he asked me. I turned to accept when the ball that pegged Cat hit the wall next to me. I screamed and jerked away in alarm.

"What was that for? I'm not acting right now," I demanded, my hands raised.

"We need to chat," Sikowitz explained. My eyes narrowed at the painful way in which he went about getting my attention.

"And 'I need to see you' wouldn't have worked?" I questioned. Andre and Beck shrugged, bidding me farewell as they left. I moved to stand in front of Sikowitz, ready to hear what he had to say. It seemed I couldn't sign up for Moonlight Magic without participating in what was called 'The Bird Scene'. Everyone had to successfully complete the scene before being able to take part in the school's productions. He presented me with the book that contained the scene. Our conversation ended when Cat came back needing to ask a question but she ran when Sikowitz threw the ball at her again. I only gave him an odd look before leaving his classroom, reading through the scene as I did. I had to get on this as soon as possible.

* * *

Must learn "the bird scene"

\- p.s. my teacher throws balls

at people :O

Mood = Thinky

* * *

I practiced the rest of the day and almost all through the night. I was determined to get it right. It would suck if I wasn't allowed to participate in the school's productions. Plus, I couldn't let Andre down. Maybe I could even use this to show Jade I was just as competent as everyone else at this school. Why was Jade even coming to mind? As far as I knew, Beck and Jade were a couple. The little I saw of the two's interactions showed they were, but at the same time it didn't seem like they were at all. It just didn't add up. I swore there were times when they treated each other like they did the rest of the gang. Was that normal couple behavior or were they just good friends that didn't need to be big on affection? I could be wrong but whatever. I wasn't an expert on boyfriends or relationships seeing as I've had very few that didn't last. Why am I even evaluating Jade and Beck's relationship anyway?

They were good friends, meaning Jade didn't hurt him for the blatant friendly interaction he gave her. I noticed Jade didn't like being touched in any way but allowed Beck all the touching he wanted. That surely proved they were a thing, right? I mean, they did kiss. A part of me wondered about Jade and her strange but interesting peeves. At the same time I asked myself; why did I care or pay attention at all to someone who obviously hates me? Did I really want to befriend the dark girl that much? All these thoughts assaulted me when I had taken a small break from practicing to eat. As soon as I was done, I jumped right back into it. Jade and Beck's weird relationship was none of my concern and it should just stay that way. I had to focus. The next day I would be performing my scene and I needed to show Sikowitz I was ready to join the other successors who had passed.

* * *

Doin' The Bird Scene today.

Nervous but READY.

Mood = Psyched

* * *

I hurried down the hall to Sikowitz's class. Upon opening the door, a loud cascade of bickering and fighting flowed out. Sikowitz yelled over the noise to silence the class, a signal that the latest drive by acting exercise was over. If I was hearing correctly, then everyone had been speaking in a British accent.

"Quiet down," Sikowitz insisted, motioning for everyone to settle down and take their seats. I headed for an empty seat in the back while he began talking.

"Now that we are all loosie and all goosey, the time has come for our newest student to tackle…" he paused dramatically, stomping his feet quickly to set off a drum roll that flowed through the class at his lead.

"The Bird Scene," he finished, the drum roll ceasing the minute he did. I took a calming breath before standing. I looked ahead as I walked, not missing the way Jade followed me with her sharp gaze, and Beck watching her calmly, a hand in his hair. Jade actually looked curious, although, of what I didn't know. I took another calming breath and just kept moving forward. Here goes nothing.

**~Jade~**

My outspoken nature did tend to get me into trouble more often than not and my rude behavior was tolerated because people were afraid of speaking against me. Because of this, 'The Bird Scene' was my kind of test. I aced it in one shot. Beck on the other hand had passed in two tries because he wasn't nearly as forceful as me. His calm and polite nature ruined it for him the first time around. The second time he did better. I was proud of him that day, finally throwing all caution to the wind for once, and speaking honestly whether it was rude or not. I spent the rest of the day rubbing it in his face that sometimes blunt honesty got you places. My attention focused back on Vega, wondering briefly if she would be the same as Beck. She was too nice for her own good and she displayed signs of uncertainty more than once.

"Tori, the stage is yours though you can't take it home," Sikowitz told her with a gesture to the stage. She stood on it, ready to go despite the nervous look marring her face. I sneered and crossed my arms. She's so gonna have to do this again.

"Um, can I ask you a quick question before I start?" she began, making me groan in agitation. She just had to worry over everything didn't she? She was going to fail before she even started. She glanced at me but looked back at Sikowitz when my eyes met hers.

"So-" she continued but Sikowitz cut her off, something I was happy for. I could already tell that if she continued to question she would fail. I was having a hard time deciding if I wanted Vega to fail or not. I never liked competition but at the same time, I knew she had what it took to be something. She was a fighter. The phrase bounced around in my head more and more since meeting her.

"Just do your best. Action!" Sikowitz shouted, sitting down to watch.

"Ok," she began skeptically. She set the booklet down as a focused expression overcame her features. She looked like she was trying to get into character. Her obvious nerves probably weren't helping but eventually she seemed to find her place and she began. Word for word the script flashed in my mind's eye as she recited it, trying her hardest to act out the scene as best she could. We watched on in silence, waiting for the end that made all the difference. She was just as caught up in the suspense of the ending so I spent the whole scene showing her just how boring I thought she was. It was that or mock interest. When she finally finished the class remained quiet. It was all a part of the test of course. Even Sikowitz remained quiet. She glanced up to see blank staring faces. It didn't take long for the silence to get to her.

"How was that?" she asked uncertainly.

"What do you mean?" Sikowitz responded, lazily leaning against the back wall. My eyes shifted over to him before flicking back to Vega. Her own eyes registered confusion before speaking again.

"Did I do the scene right?" she questioned a little hesitantly. I smirked and shook my head slightly, looking down to pick at my nails. Tori Vega has struck out just as I suspected. Time for her to do it again. I wanted to laugh at her but I remained quiet. Now we all had to look forward to her begging us to tell her what went wrong and how to fix it. Pathetic.

**~Tori~**

I had tried my best on the scene so I could only hope he agreed. I guess I was mistaken because his answer was not what I wanted to hear.

"Oh, no, not at all," Sikowitz told me, getting up to return to the front of the class.

"Ok, then what did I do wrong?" I asked, holding up my hands questioningly.

"You'll have to perform the scene again tomorrow and get it right or else you cannot be in Andre's play or any other," Sikowitz explained, handing me the book and leading me off the stage. He sat me down and returned up front.

"But can you tell me what I did wrong?" I inquired again, standing up.

"No, I can't," he responded bluntly.

"I don't get any feedback?" I wondered dejectedly.

"That is correct," he responded.

"But-" I tried again but Sikowitz cut me off. I glanced at Jade, who was smirking at the exchange, and frowned.

"Drive by acting challenge! You're all terrified dolphins, go!" Sikowitz yelled suddenly. Everyone got to their feet to participate. Sikowitz shouted advice as they did the activity but I sat back down with a frown, wondering what went wrong. Things were looking grim.

* * *

The Bird Scene…WHAT DID I

DO WRONG?! :(

Mood = Confused

* * *

I was not happy the rest of class. I followed the gang out when it ended and we turned into the main hall. We were all talking at once until I silenced them with my outburst of exasperation.

"Oh come on! How am I supposed to do the scene right if no one will tell me what I did wrong? I thought you guys were my friends," I whined, moving to stand in the middle of our group and looking around. Jade scoffed at the notion and decided to comment. To her, being friends with me would probably only end in disaster. I had to agree as much as I wanted it to be different.

"I'm not your friend," she stated, batting her eyelashes in fake innocence before stalking off. She snagged Beck on the way, planning on nagging him to death, I guessed bitterly. He let her drag him away, but his expression told me he was sorry about it. Beck always apologized for her behavior. I watched them go before returning my attention to the rest of the group with a roll of my eyes.

"I was hoping we could be more than friends," Rex spoke up suggestively. I glared at him and then shut my eyes to block out the anger I felt build at seeing the puppet.

"Ugh, it's so gross how he's hitting on every girl," Cat commented pointedly.

"I never hit on you," Rex retorted.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cat demanded, her common line when she freaked out a little or took things the wrong way. I waved my arms and pointed at myself to get their attention. I didn't want them falling into a bickering match again.

"You guys; my problem," I reminded them.

"Number one rule of 'The Bird Scene', no one's allowed to help you," Beck suddenly spoke from beside the Wahoo Punch vendor. Jade leaned next to him, a drink in hand. They had come back after she was done chewing him out no doubt. They walked over to stand by me again.

"No one," Rex emphasized. I turned to level another glare at him. Jade glanced at my locker before stepping closer. She began speaking, getting my attention easily with just the sound of her voice.

"So this is what you did with it?" she inquired in a false soft tone. Her finger jabbed at the white board and the markers stuck to the door. It looked utterly plain in my opinion but I couldn't think of anything else to do with it.

"Yeah, see, it's-it's a dry erase board with a bunch of colorful pens in a convenient cup. So whoever wants to can write or draw whatever they want," I explained. Jade listened with mock interest while the others gave their full attention. Her expression looked thoughtful, something I didn't like.

"But you're supposed to decorate it yourself," Beck pointed out helpfully.

"It's a Hollywood Arts tradition," Cat reminded me. I turned to answer her, giving Jade my back. I knew she was planning something, and now was her chance, but I couldn't do anything about it now so I ignored the sound of her fiddling with something.

"Well, what's wrong with letting other people be expressive on my locker?" I asked Cat and Robbie; the latter switching feet nervously before answering.

"Oh, well, for one thing they can do that," he told me, pointing over my shoulder. I turned to see Jade had just gotten done writing the word 'stupid' in bold red letters in between the words 'My' and 'Locker'. I frowned and cursed the Goth internally.

"Yeah, well my locker is smarter than your locker!" I called to the now retreating duo. Jade had dragged Beck off again without a word this time. What was her problem?

"How can a locker be smarter than-" Cat began but I didn't let her finish.

"I don't know," I groaned, waving my hands and then finally letting them drop. I moved to take down the now offensive board.

"Oh come on. Someone tell me how to do 'The Bird Scene' or I'm going to cry," I admitted in frustration.

"I can't," Cat said, shaking her head and then leaving.

"And don't be so whiny," Rex reprimanded.

"Yeah man up," Robbie agreed with Rex for once. I only let out an irritated breath, knowing full well I got whiny under pressure. Andre strutted around the corner with a smile at that moment.

"Time for our first ballet class," he chirped, continuing to walk in the direction of said class.

"Ooh, ballet!" Robbie practically squealed, following Andre to class. I watched them go with a shake of my head. He had just told me to man up yet there he goes to ballet with a girly squeal. He even skipped a little. I leaned against my locker, put out about the scene and my locker now. Time to start coming up with ideas for both problems.

* * *

So ready for The Bird Scene

this time. Gonna KILL IT.

Mood = Determined

* * *

Another whole day and night was put into ideas and practice to make the scene even better. I had no clue what went wrong the first time but I had to figure it out. This scene was important and allowed me entry into plays. I practiced the scene once more before bed; certain that tomorrow would be my lucky day. With what I had planned, how could Sikowitz tell me it was wrong? I looked forward to getting it done. I arrived early to class this time around. Jade and Robbie were already there. Robbie stood around talking to other kids while Jade lazily lounged in a chair off to the side of the room where she usually sat during class. Her gaze automatically landed on me the minute I entered. Any time I glanced at her nervously Jade always looked away in time. She looked deep in thought, a frown marring her fair features. Man, I had to stop thinking like that. Beck walked in at that moment. He walked up to me, punching a fist into his other hand. He looked slightly hesitant but spoke up once he was standing in front of me. I noticed his slight discomfort and wondered if he was just worried about how Jade would react if he gave me his attention.

The girl hated anything to do with me after all and she was crazy possessive of Beck recently. Or maybe it was the other way around. I swore there were times when Beck would be the one to subconsciously pull her aside or wrap her in his arms or drown her in a conversation between only them where they almost always began to disagree about something. Jade went along with it like it was normal but even I could tell the things Beck said only wazzed her off. And then there was the question of whether or not they were really going out. It just seemed like hit and miss with them. All that didn't seem to matter either way because Jade walked over almost immediately after he entered. I didn't miss the way she draped her arm over his shoulder. It was like she was using him as support without having to use words. Her expression was conflicted but smoothed out. She caught my gaze, knowing I had seen the interaction but she surprisingly didn't comment. Beck was always trying to do little things to cheer her up from whatever was bothering her. What did I do to make Jade so angry with me? I was brought back to the present by Beck.

"So, you ready?" he asked me.

"Oh, I'm way past ready. Sikowitz wants 'The Bird Scene' I'm going to give him 'The Bird Scene'. I got props, I got a backdrop, and just to kiss up a little I even got Sikowitz two large coconuts," I stated confidently. I pulled out the two coconuts and held them up for them to see. Jade watched on, an unenthused expression on her face. The raised brow she gave me made me feel like I wasn't going to get anywhere this way. Was she trying to warn me or did she just serious not care? Was I reading too much into this?

"Those are good ones," Beck commented, pulling me from my thoughts. His statement make both of us look at him with narrowed eyes. I think we were both wondering what Beck really meant and I know we both didn't appreciate it. Wow, Jade and I agreeing. It was silent but it was still an agreement. I eventually let it go though and shrugged; my uncertain expression loosening. Beck wandered off while Jade stayed where she was.

"What's the deal with Sikowitz and coconuts?" Robbie wondered, having stood nearby and heard the exchange.

"He says the milk gives him visions," Jade supplied, holding up her hands in surrender against why that could possibly be helpful. My eyebrows furrowed momentarily but the bell signaled the start of class so everyone took their seats. Sikowitz barged in as always.

"Alright-" he began, but stopped and spun as he walked like he had tripped. His sentence turned to nonsense. He stopped with his back to the class, and then abruptly backed up on the stage and crouched slightly. Everyone looked at him at a loss for words. He didn't elaborate on what had happened so no one asked. He continued on like normal, or as normal as Sikowitz could be.

"We have much to do today but first, Tori, 'The Bird Scene'," he stated, pulling off his bag and throwing it to the side. I couldn't help glancing over at Jade who watched from her seat next to Beck. His arm was casually over her shoulder as usual when they sat together. I hopped from my seat to do exactly what I told them I had planned. I sucked up to Sikowitz, giving him the coconuts, to which he told me what Jade had said. I told him I knew that and then moved on to the scene. Take two, and action!

**~Jade~**

She set up her scene with everything she said she had, making me tilt my head in surprise. She really was trying but I knew it wasn't enough. It would never be enough unless she thought it is. She brought out the fake bird which I scoffed at. The further the scene progressed, the more she tried to sell the scene. I made faces at all the stupid ways she tried too hard. When was she going to learn? Maybe it was time I knocked some sense into her? I contemplated whether or not to do so while she continued.

Sikowitz looked like he was actually enjoying it, something that made Vega look hopeful. By the time she finished the same thing was repeated from the last time. She worriedly asked how she did, and Sikowitz told her she failed.I rolled my eyes. We would have to listen to the stupid thing again tomorrow. When Sikowitz said as much I smirked at her obvious frustration. Beck closed his eyes at her mistake. The class ended with the gardener chucking the toy bird back at Vega. Something I took great pleasure in. She had tossed it out the window to simulate it flying away and its return almost hit her. I chuckled at her expense and left the room with Beck.

**~Tori~**

The day continued, but I was desperate to know what I had done wrong by now. I mentally mapped up where all my friends were and decided to find answers, even if I had to beg Jade. The thought made me shudder. I was in luck when I came down the stairs from my most recent class. Cat stood at the top of the center stairs, tapping away at her phone.

"Cat," I greeted, dragging out the redhead's name and trying to look nonchalant. Cat looked up happily.

"Hey!" she greeted back. I walked up to her, all smiles, determined not to give myself away just yet.

"You have to try something!" I told the airy redhead with excitement. I dug in my bag and then pulled out what I was looking for.

"Handcuffs?" Cat questioned, giving me a puzzled stare. I just nodded.

"Uh huh, put them on one wrist," I instructed, opening them and holding them out for Cat to put her wrist in.

"Ok," she complied easily. I snapped them on.

"Good, now we lock the other part around here," I explained, moving to snap the other side to the handrail of the stairs. Cat watched me with a ditzy smile, uncaring that she was now trapped, or at least not realizing it. I tried to ignore the fact that my next actions were almost Jade worthy but I couldn't stop now.

"Fun," Cat stated, still uncaring. I pulled out a box of candy next. Cat lit up when she saw them.

"Ok now try these," I told her.

"Ooh, candy!" she exclaimed. If there was one thing I picked up about Cat was that she was addicted to sweets. I hummed in agreement and poured some into her hand. Cat chugged them back without hesitation just as I knew she would do. I watched as her face went from happy, to questionable, to panicked.

"Mmm, these are so…so hot!" she squeaked, waving at her mouth. She spat them out almost immediately, the little candies scattering at our feet.

"What are these!" she demanded. I lifted the box and answered.

"Jube Jube Peppers," I answered.

"Ugh, they're burning my mouth!" she exclaimed.

"I know; want some water?" I asked, holding up a freshly opened bottle.

"Yes!" Cat yelled, snatching for it, but I backed away.

"Tell me the secret to 'The Bird Scene'," I demanded suddenly. Cat looked distressed.

"I can't and I need water," she pleaded, gesturing to the bottle I held away from her. I looked into Cat's innocent, begging eyes, and caved.

"Oh fine!" I relented, giving her the water with a stomp of my foot. My idea might have been Jade level mean but I couldn't keep it up. I wasn't that heartless. Cat chugged the water with a sigh while I began to walk away. She swallowed and called to me.

"Wait Tori! Water…" she gasped, unable to properly call to me while she drank. I stopped at my bland locker and popped it open just as Jade surprisingly showed up at my side. She leaned against the lockers with her trademark smirk I had gotten used to seeing on her. She looked happy to see me down. I wondered if I should just ignore her but thought against it. If Jade was here it was for a reason and she wasn't going to leave until she did what she wanted.

"What do you want?" I asked her, an eyebrow raised questioningly.

"Just stopped by to see what you plan on doing with this tin catastrophe," she replied calmly, glancing at the locker.

"Well right now I'm busy angrily throwing books into it can't you tell?" I demanded, doing just that. Jade didn't seem affected by my mood. Instead, she waited to hear the real answer to her question. I sighed, hating to show Jade that these things were bothering me more than I let on.

"Look, I put a stripe on it. Did you see the stripe?" I said with a wave at the bright pink color on the otherwise gray locker. Jade shifted her weight and glanced at the stripe, unimpressed. It was also pink, a color I knew Jade must have hated due to her heavy frown.

"I see the stripe," she confirmed with one slow nod. I groaned and closed my eyes, falling against the lockers.

"Well I don't know what to do," I whined. Jade rolled her eyes. Again, I somehow knew it was my whining that irritated her. How did I manage to pick up on so much of her quirks so fast? Then again, she did make a point of things she didn't like.

"Why don't you do something, you know, creative and deep," she suggested, her eyes boring into mine, letting me know she was trying to be serious not sympathetic. I could see it in the way her blue-green gaze analyzed me sharply. Soft and Jade never went together.

"What did you do for yours?" I asked tiredly, looking for more ideas. I didn't think she would help so I was surprised when she pushed off the lockers.

"No, how about I show you what Beck did? He seems to think his qualifies as creative and deep. Come on," she replied, gesturing for me to follow. She led me around the wall to where Andre's locker was except she stopped to point at a locker under his and slightly to the right. I stood back to get a good look before returning my eyes to Jade.

"Clear?" I asked her. Jade held up a finger.

"He would have said 'transparent' but I say it's clear," Jade corrected in a half assed manner. I didn't miss her comment about agreeing with me and not Beck. I had a hard time coming to terms with the fact that I very much liked agreeing with Jade on something. It was refreshing and new. It felt good to agree with her.

"He told me he has no secrets so neither does his locker. Very deep right?" she scoffed, crossing her arms and leaning on the wall of lockers.

"But…oh, that is creative and deep," I reluctantly gave in. Jade shrugged uncaringly.

"Yeah," she replied.

"So, anyway, about 'The Bird Scene'…" I began, trying to play it off as a passing topic. Jade frowned, not at all willing to go along with it. She groaned, clearly unwilling to help. Something like frustration passed over her face before being replaced with disgust. Eventually she settled on her passive frown that was less than friendly. She looked like she would regret what she would say next but said it anyway. Jade would rebel against herself if she could and that was precisely what I thought was happening right now.

"Ok look, here's what I think you should do so listen closely because I'm not repeating myself. Stop being a cry baby and get over it you worry wart. Do the scene however you want and then just be happy it's over. I know I'll enjoy the fact it's over because I honestly don't want to see it again," she growled, sweeping a hand out as if to clear away smoke. She settled her hard gaze on me, waiting for her words to sink in. When I said nothing she stalked off, grumbling under her breath. I was shocked by her sudden yet still brutal advice. Was she just trying to ruffle my feathers, pun not intended, or did she mean what she said? Do the scene and be happy it's over? What did that mean? I pondered what it could mean when the bell rang. I sighed and began to walk, deep in thought.

* * *

Just thought of a way to find out

WHAT'S UP with The Bird Scene…

Mood = Sneaky

* * *

Despite Jade's strange advice on what I needed to do, I was still at a loss. So while I tried to work out that puzzle I decided to try a new route. I stopped by Robbie's locker in hopes of…persuading him to tell me. I had never openly flirted with someone to get what I wanted but now was as good a time as ever to try it out. I started the conversation with Robbie easily enough, but not even a few hand caresses to his arm could get him to spill. Rex wasn't helping matters either. It seemed Rex was the confident as well as clear minded side of Robbie. They ran off, Rex claiming he had to pee. I still had no idea how that worked. I let him go anyway, a pout forming on my lips at my failure.

But I wasn't necessarily at square one. There was still Jade's advice. God, when had I needed to rely on such mean advice as hers? Was I doomed to repeat this unbreakable scene for the rest of my time here? I groaned and forced myself to get to my next class. All throughout the day my thoughts ran in a loop until I had to go to bed. I had changed my setup for the scene once more in hopes this time would be the last time. Sikowitz has to pass me after this. It was quality stuff and guaranteed to blow everyone away. Maybe Jade included…I had to stop thinking about Jade. I rolled over in bed and hoped beyond hope tomorrow would be the last time I performed that god awful scene. If not, I was afraid I would have to answer to Jade's fist, or worse, her scissors.

* * *

Ahhh! About to try The Bird

Scene AGAIN - WISH ME LUCK!

Mood = Fierce

* * *

This time around I came in way, way earlier to class. I needed it for the extensive setup I had planned. Just getting the stuff into the classroom was a pain. Trina neglected to help of course. I was busy getting things ready while I listened to the classroom buzz on the other side of my makeshift curtain. The class was about to start and soon it would be time for me to try again. I was confident I would succeed. I had to.

**~Jade~**

I walked into Sikowitz's classroom and looked at the curtain strung up around the stage with a slow shake of my head. I crossed my arms and sighed. I didn't know what my words sparked in Vega's head but this wasn't it, or it shouldn't have been. I briefly wondered if she figured it out at all when Sikowitz arrived. I took my seat and kicked back to watch. Beck took his seat by my side with a reassuring smile. He was trying to keep me calm.

"Happy Birthday!" Sikowitz congratulated as he entered.

"Whose Birthday is it?" Cat questioned happily.

"Somebody's, somewhere," Sikowitz replied, striding to the front of the room.

"That's so true," Cat agreed in awe. Unfortunately, it didn't take much to amaze Cat.

"Where's Tori?" Sikowitz questioned. The curtain behind him rippled and she appeared.

"Here," she stated, poking her head out. Sikowitz jumped away.

"Oh, you brought curtains," he said, gesturing to the flowery patterned fabric that blocked out the whole stage. He walked off to the back of the class.

"Let's do this," Vega said; determination still present. She may be failing every single time she did this but she was still eager to keep trying. She slipped behind the curtain again.

"Very good," Sikowitz told her, finding a seat. I set my eyes on the curtains with a small frown and hoped she would get it right this time for the sake of my sanity. My face remained neutral though. I glanced at Beck who sat a little ways away from me. We had a bit of a fight yesterday after school. I told him I "helped" Vega understand 'The Bird Scene' after he asked me where I went off to between classes. He took it just as I thought he would; he was ecstatic. He asked why I helped, why I cared, but I stopped him right there. I had to cut him off before he got started. I didn't care about Vega, I just wanted this done and over with. Besides, I didn't exactly say what was needed to pass. Nothing would be that easy with me.

"'The Bird Scene', starring Tori…" Sikowitz began as an introduction, but faltered at her last name. I rolled my eyes.

"Vega," both Vega and I finished for him. She briefly popped out from behind the curtains to tell him while I growled it out from my seat. I tilted my head in thought. Vega, what a great way to distance myself when talking to the overly bright brunette. It was more formal and less casual than Tori. I wondered why I never thought of it before. I used it in my thoughts all the time but never when speaking to her. I smirked and decided to call her by her surname once in a while, but maybe more often than not. The scene began again, even more elaborate than before. Sikowitz had to question Beck if he saw the, very real, bird just to make sure his coconuts weren't steering him in the wrong direction again. By the time Vega finished the scene, the whole class was beaming. She grinned with obvious pride and was even happier when Sikowitz stood to commend her.

"That, was impressive," he told her. But not what he was looking for. I knew this and looked from him to Vega. Come on Vega, don't ask that stupid question. Don't be a cry baby. I grit my teeth and waited.

"So did I get it right?" she asked happily. Sikowitz's smile promptly fell. I felt like punching something. Maybe I would have to use my scissors.

"Nope," Sikowitz sighed. I fought to keep myself from yelling at Vega so I settled for a tight smirk that would easily convey that she failed. Surprisingly, Vega was not having it. Maybe she hadn't failed? I could only hope.

"But I just-I-I-I did too get it right!" she exclaimed, her hands clenched in anger. She was livid and nothing Sikowitz said could change what she thought. She glanced at me briefly before recognition dawned on her face. She finally got the meaning behind my words. I was sure of it.

"Tori listen-" Sikowitz tried to explain, but for once, he was cut off and Vega was speaking forcefully. I quirked a small smile, hoping Beck didn't see it. He could wear one damn good mask but it wouldn't change the fact that he would leave me alone now just to tease me later. Right now, I was actually impressed she was finally sticking up for how she felt, and boy was she fierce. My thoughts skid to a halt at that. I didn't get time to wonder what was going on when Vega began a long winded rant.

"I don't mean to be disrespectful but do you know how hard I worked on this scene? I made this costume! I downloaded special prairie music! I even trained that crazy cockatoo to fly in and out of that window on command!" she yelled, clearly on edge. I watched, amused at the fire in her words. I couldn't help it. I knew Vega had it in her. She just needed a push. My smirk returned and Beck grinned next to me.

**~Tori~**

The bird had flown in during my rant and greeted me but I had no time or patience for it. I threw out a hand and yelled at it in my rage. It thought better about being anywhere near me and darted back out the window quickly. I picked up where I left off without a hitch.

"Look, I know you're a great acting teacher and everything but I don't care what you say. The scene I just did was good. And I'm proud of it no matter what anyone thinks," I said with finality. I crossed my arms to get the point across. Halfway through my rant I had understood the meaning behind Jade's advice. Like what you do regardless of what others think. In other words, don't be a baby and be happy when it's done. My eyes met said adviser's gaze to see amusement. Jade approved, which made me happy, and by the looks of the rest of the class as well as Sikowitz, they approved too. He began to clap and the rest followed, Jade included. She might have hated to give out praise but maybe she thought I deserved the credit.

"You just passed 'The Bird Scene'!" Sikowitz announced happily. I looked a little lost and shocked for the simple reason that I hadn't really expected Jade's advice to be right. Why had she helped me? I pulled off the rounded spectacles in disbelief and let them hang.

"Tori, the whole point of 'The Bird Scene' is to teach a performer, like yourself, to believe in your own choices; no matter what others think. We are artists, and a true artist doesn't base success on approval from others. A true artist; need only please himself…" he stated wisely.

"Or herself…" he said gesturing to me.

"Or itself," he continued, moving to gesture to Rex. Robbie and Rex exchanged looks.

"You don't know what I got!" Rex shouted. Sikowitz only raised a hand and shrugged. Jade's nose scrunched at the puppet's bold statement. Robbie still didn't make sense sometimes and no one was going to tell me they were two different people, because they aren't. By the look Jade gave them she thought the same.

"So, all three times I did the scene…" I began slowly.

"Were delightful. It was only wrong when you asked if it was right," Sikowitz told me softly. I smiled, glad to finally understand and be included in the circle. 'The Bird Scene' was done and over with. A lesson was learned and I felt better for knowing it. I wouldn't forget that lesson. Sikowitz clapped his hands once and walked away.

"Drive by acting exercise. You are all elderly people walking barefoot on broken glass. Go!" he challenged. I was momentarily puzzled over the choice but went with it. The class stood to participate. I exchanged a look with Sikowitz and then we linked arms to hobble off the stage and over imaginary broken glass, a smile plastered to my face.

* * *

FINALLY…I…am…VICTORIOUS!

Mood = Pumped

* * *

Not only did I finally get 'The Bird Scene' but while learning that life lesson I came up with the perfect idea for my locker design. It was a concept that was all my own and highlighted a very personal event that changed my life forever. I was living it now and wanted to have a reminder every day. So, once I had my locker tricked out just the way I wanted it, I gathered my friends to see, Jade included even though she didn't look at all interested. It was enough that she was there though. The Goth had still been a vital number to the equation, and even if I could thank her, something she probably wouldn't even accept anyway, I wouldn't thank her.

Instead, I would file it away as a good act Jade had committed, proving that she had the capacity but it was just hard to come by. I had a feeling there wouldn't be a whole lot in the future so it would be special whenever it happened again. I was sure it would be 'when' and not 'if'. I may not know why Jade did what she did to help me but I was still thankful and it spurred me to befriend her even more. So, with my friends gathered at my locker, I bounced excitedly. I held the door open so that the front was hidden. I wanted to present it when I was ready for them to see.

"You guys ready?" I asked the small group. They all nodded except for Jade who nursed a cup of coffee quietly. They all replied in their own way, Jade's usual 'whatever' cutting above the rest. I ignored her usual lack of enthusiasm and swung the door shut with a solid metallic slam and smiled. I opened my hands to display the door to them. No one commented and Trina's scrunched expression was the only reaction.

"Make what shine?" she questioned me. I frowned and dropped my hands, not believing that no one got it. What's wrong with them?

"It's the title of the song I sung in the big showcase," I explained unnecessarily. They all made noises of acknowledgement at that. 'Whatever', Jade's endearing expression of not giving a damn, was heard again. I eyed them, slightly wazzed. I had found something meaningful to do with my locker and getting a response like this was not what I expected.

"'Cause you know, that's what got me here in the first place," I tried to explain further. Jade swallowed her sip of coffee to comment.

"I don't like it," she stated bluntly, taking another drink. Well, that wasn't a surprise.

"Maybe the words should be bigger?" Cat suggested with a nod. Beck and Trina both agreed and then all four began talking at once. I let them ramble for a few seconds before silencing them with a raised finger.

"I believe in my own choice and I don't need approval from others," I told them confidently.

"Ah, the young female learned the way of 'The Bird Scene'," Beck commented with a small smile. Next to him, Jade's gaze narrowed slightly.

"I still think it's dull," she said offhandedly, still not impressed. I turned to level a glare back at her.

"Yeah, well maybe I should make it shine," I retorted smugly, reaching out to press the small button on the bottom corner. The door lit up with a scatter of stars and the letters illuminated. My three friends showed their approval but Jade just rolled her eyes.

"Ok are we going to eat or what?" she demanded. Beck glanced at her curiously while the others left with her without hesitation.

"Oh yay, food," Cat stated, easily made happy yet again.

"Come with," Beck asked me. I smiled amiably.

"Sure," I replied, not missing the deep frown Jade gave him over her shoulder. I skipped over to catch up to Jade and Beck, content even though Jade shot us a look once in a while. I was too happy to care though.

**~Jade~**

I wouldn't call it jealously as much as I would call it competition. I promised Vega torture and I never go back on my word so I began a rant that was big enough that Beck had to return his attention to me. No way would I let him make me jealous over him and Vega. What others didn't realize, was that Beck could be just as manipulative as me. He kept insisting that I should just give in and accept Vega, but I refused. Now he was trying to subtly irritate me. I couldn't help but think I looked very much like a jealous girlfriend, but that was exactly what Beck wanted; just towards him.

It was the reason he openly showed his interest in Vega, but I gave myself no choice except pull him away. That way I killed any chance of getting any closer to her and remain stuck to him. Of course, it really just made me look like I was jealous of Vega instead and wanted Beck to myself. Whatever worked was fine with me. I couldn't like Vega. I sighed, and glanced over at her. She was currently in a conversation with Cat now. One day I would find a loop hole and approach her, how I want; on my own terms. But for now, I would have to keep Beck close, a shield, and wait for that moment to arrive. After all, I was used to getting what I wanted and no one could stop me once I got started. Not even Tori Vega.


	3. Stage Fighting

**~Tori~**

Things weren't going the way I wanted them to go. The day just started out bad to begin with and only got progressively worse from there. Trina made us late to school again and once we got there I was surprised to hear that each student had to learn at least one instrument. So, I decided to go with the French horn. Yeah, it was a random choice but it was something I had never heard of before so I chose it. Suffice it to say, I was horrible at it. It wasn't very accommodating either, hence why I was currently trying and failing to fit it in my locker.

"Tor-ay!" Andre called to me.

"What's up?" Cat asked, skipping along next to him. I tried once more to shove the instrument of choice in my locker before giving up.

"I'm having a horn problem! Why do I have to play an instrument anyway?" I cried out tiredly.

"Everyone at Hollywood Arts has to play an instrument," Cat reminded me.

"Ok, well, I sing. My throat is my instrument. I'm a throat player," I replied, a hand going to my neck to emphasis the point.

"Doesn't count," Andre told me with a shake of his head.

"And it sounds kind of gross," Cat added with a straight face. I looked at her for a moment before dropping it. I had nothing to say to that.

"Why'd you pick the French horn?" Andre asked me.

"I don't know. I like French fries, French toast…" I began, letting the sentence fade before I could revealed other activities that included the word 'French' in front of it. I hope they didn't notice anything. I was busy keeping down a rising blush when Cat gasped and held out a hand, catching our attention.

"One time when I was eating French toast at a restaurant I started laughing and then I started choking. So the lady who ran the restaurant made me leave," she shared, her voice going from excited to serious as she spoke. She fell silent while Andre and I gave her strange looks that didn't faze her in the slightest.

"So let's hear your horn!" Cat shouted, breaking the weird silence and moving on. I sighed, looking down at the instrument in my hands sadly.

"Yeah play that funky music white girl," Andre encouraged me. I looked at him.

"You know I'm half Latina," I informed him. It didn't slow him down though.

"Then hit it muchacha!" he corrected. I smiled and got ready to play. I wasn't sure what would come out but I had to try. So, I brought the instrument to my lips and began. The sound that came out was wobbly and pathetic, making both Andre and Cat uncomfortable. Cat even covered her ears like she was in pain. I stopped, looking at the instrument and then at my friends sadly yet apologetic.

"I think it's broken," I concluded lamely, avoiding the fact that I just plain sucked. I was majorly avoiding it.

"Here, let me fix it," Andre told me helpfully. Cat nodded eagerly. I passed it to him and he took it, moving to stand out in the middle of the hall. The music that floated out when he played only served to bring down my spirits. When I looked around, the surrounding students bobbed to the music and cheered him on. Cat clapped her hands happily.

"It's not broken!" she told me with bright eyes. I only glared back. My lame excuse for the suckish attempt flew clear over Cat's head. The redhead joined the dancing students, leaving me to sulk. The bell rang, finally stopping Andre. He gave the instrument back to me and patted my back reassuringly. He and Cat left and I quickly decided I wasn't going to learn how to play the French horn. I walked off to class in hopes of the day getting better. Classes passed and soon I was entering the Black Box Theater for a lesson held there instead of the classroom. Our teacher had told us it was a lesson that would be new and exciting. I only hoped it didn't involve playing an instrument. Anything but that. I pushed open the door and stepped inside to see Beck and a built dude duking it out. I froze as Beck was thrown over a table and it crashed to the floor.

"Beck! Hey, you guys!" I called out in alarm. When they continued I dropped my bag in favor of breaking them up.

"Leave him alone!" I yelled, rushing to help him. I couldn't throw a punch to save my life so I did the only thing that came to mind; I jumped on the aggressor's back. He immediately stopped and began trying to get me off but I hooked an arm around his neck to stay on.

"Tori!" Beck called to me in shock.

"Hey, get off me! Who is this chick?" the guy screamed, holding out his arms questioningly. It was then when I was pulled off by Beck, Andre, and our teacher who had just come in with the students in tow. Andre calmed me down and held me back from advancing again.

"What are you doing?" our teacher demanded of me.

"That guy was beating up Beck!" I answered with a wave of my hand in his direction. Jade strode past me at that point with her usual uninterested expression. Here we go again.

"Oh, you poor thing," she concluded, stopping by Beck. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow but she didn't acknowledge him. She looked far more interested in making me feel like an idiot.

"We were practicing," Beck explained to me calmly. I glanced at Jade to see she was looking back at me with a smile that clearly said I was stupid for thinking otherwise. Beck caught her arm with his so that they were linked together. Jade gave him a questioning look but he already turned away.

"This is Russ," our teacher explained calmly.

"I'm Russ!" the guy repeated, still flustered. He clearly had too much testosterone in his system. Our teacher held up a hand to calm him down. His breathing was erratic.

"As a professional stunt man I invited him to teach the class about stage fighting," he went on to say. Jade's smile widened, and I knew she was unable to stay quiet when she would rather pick at me.

"And now Tori says, 'what's stage fighting?'" she announced mockingly, changing her voice to further humiliate me. I didn't sound at all like that. I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

"I wasn't going to say that," I disagreed. Jade scrutinized me, not believing a word I said. To prove it, I couldn't help but lean back to speak with Andre who stood behind me.

"What is it?" I asked him with raised eyebrows. I could practically feel Jade's triumphant smile behind me but I ignored it.

"Fake fighting that looks real. Like for a play or a movie," he responded.

"Oh," I replied, everything becoming clear now. I hoped Jade's current expression wasn't a further sign of her smug triumph. Yeah, I was mostly lost around here, but so what? I was new. I would learn eventually like everyone else and I would prove it to her.

**~Jade~**

I watched her piece everything together as she played with her hair. Vega was too caring for her own good. I didn't care that she directed it at Beck because well, it's Beck. He's trying so hard to get me to open up to Vega it's ridiculous.

"I took a class with him last summer," Beck further explained to her, jabbing a finger behind his back to point at Russ.

"Well it looked like he was hurting you," she responded, her eyes soft. I stiffened at the expression, feeling a tinge of what I didn't want to be jealousy, but who the hell was I fooling?

"Why do you care?" I demanded, my arm subconsciously tightening on Beck's arm. I was looking for reassurance from him but I knew Vega would interpret it as jealousy towards her. How wrong she would be. I knew my jealousy was aimed directly at Beck and I hated it.

"Because I figured he suffers enough pain dating you," she shot back easily, a smirk on her face this time. The first thought to enter my head was surprisingly not anger, but shock. Damn, she had guts. Vega actually managed a comeback and it reminded me grudgingly of the way she knocked me down a peg during alphabet improv. That feeling was quickly shoved away when anger finally took hold in order to save myself from appearing surprised. I pushed away from Beck to advance on Tori.

"You wanna see pain?" I threatened, taking a single step forward before Beck pulled me back.

"Ok, why don't we go sit over there," he suggested hurriedly, steering me away by the shoulders. I let him relocate us only because I had a few choice words to spit at him once everyone dispersed. He was not going to stop me from snapping at Vega. As long as I remotely liked her I would be there to make her life hell.

**~Tori~**

I watched Beck lead Jade away and then pulled Andre aside. My eyes cautiously watched her as I began to speak. I didn't want her trying anything while my back was turned although I hoped Beck would keep her from getting to me.

"Why does she hate me?" I asked Andre in confusion, arms opened.

"Maybe she heard you play the French horn?" he wondered jokingly. I knew he was trying to lighten the mood but I wasn't amused. Everyone was told to take a seat so that we could get started. We all settled down and the class began. Russ attempted to explain a few things before asking Cat to help him demonstrate. She stood up and hesitantly waited for him to tell her what to do. He started with a swing in her direction and Cat closed her eyes with a gasp. Her smile returned quickly though and she stared at him vacantly. I smiled at her. Cat honestly didn't do most of the things she did on purpose; she just lived in her own world most of the time. He began to explain the obviousness that he didn't hit her to which Cat thanked him.

He gave her a strange look before he moved their position to give a different angle and then signaled both Cat and our teacher, who controlled sound effects, to do as they were told earlier in what I assumed had been a previous lesson before ours. The result when he swung made it really look like he hit Cat. She gasped and covered her face to add to the scene. She assured us she wasn't actually harmed which made everyone laugh at her bubbly nature. We clapped and Russ sent Cat back to her seat. Jade was the only one who hadn't clapped and didn't look impressed. In fact, she looked away. I briefly wondered what she had on her mind when my attention was brought back up to the front.

"Alright, I'm gonna pair you guys up and each team will work with Russ this week to prepare a fight scene," our teacher explained, placing a hand on Russ' shoulder who threw a few punches in the air to show off. Well, this will be interesting.

"I thought his name was Steve?" Andre suddenly asked.

"He does look like a Steve," I agreed with him. Everyone else murmured their agreement.

"My name is Russ," the stunt man complained. Our teacher shook his head and moved on.

"Ok, and on Friday you will all perform your fight scenes here in front of the class," he spoke loudly, trying to get our attention again. We quieted down and he continued.

"Now, the pairs will be: Beck and Cat, Andre and Quinn, Daryn and Jess, Tori and Jade," he announced, making me sit straight in my seat.

"Tori and who?" I exclaimed, gawking at him in fear. I couldn't help it. As much as I was curious about the mystery that was Jade, I was still pretty sure the Goth girl hated my guts. A fight scene was not the time to test that out. Jade leaned over to shoot me a devious smirk along with a wiggle of her eyebrows which did nothing but make me even more skittish. The bell rang and I rushed to confront the teacher.

"Um, I'm not comfortable with my partner," I stated. He barely gave me his attention before telling me to wait. I fidgeted on the spot but did as I was told. Jade walked over, intent on making me squirm. I figured out a while ago that it entertained her to see how uncomfortable she could make people; especially me. I would even go as far as to say it was easier and more enjoyable for her. Why, I have no clue.

"Hey partner," she greeted, her voice laced with purposeful innocence. I turned to her with a wary gaze. Jade smirked when I hesitated to acknowledge her.

"I can't wait for our fight," she continued, turning to leave but she halted and turned back around to level her intense eyes on me.

"Scene," she tacked on, correcting herself. Of course, the whole thing was an act just to put me on edge, which worked. Beck rolled his eyes at her antics and followed her out. I turned back around with wide eyes.

"Gulp," I mumbled, fear in my tone. Of all the times to be paired with Jade it had to involve a fight. I was sure to be at least assaulted once and made to look like an accident. I groaned, hoping it wouldn't be too painful. I'm so dead.

* * *

My life = in DANGER

Mood = Yikes

* * *

I carried on with my day, barely seeing Jade. When I did glance her in the hall she would have the scariest expression. It promised pain and I could only gulp in silent fear. I would be alone with Jade practicing a fake fight. Or, I hoped it would remain fake. I still wasn't too sure with the looks Jade gave me. I had tried talking to the teacher but he refused to switch me with someone else. Does he want a student's death on his hands? I tried to come up with better reasons, all of which, didn't make him change his mind. When I exhausted that line of defense, going so far as to catch the instructor outside of class and beg, I tried to just ignore the inevitable. Jade was going to find a way to hurt me, and I couldn't do anything to stop it. God, I'm beyond scared. The end of the day had me nervously biting my lip. Jade was currently cornering me at my locker, that darn smirk in place. It never failed to make me uncomfortable.

"Ready for rehearsal?" she asked me. I shut my locker and turned to her.

"R-rehearsal?" I stuttered before clearing my throat. It only made Jade's grin widen.

"Sure, we have to practice at some point don't we?" she replied. I nodded slowly.

"Yeah, sure," I agreed. Jade shrugged and pushed off the lockers. She walked away expecting me to follow so I rushed to do so, almost tripping over my feet to catch up. Jade shook her head but didn't comment or tease me about it. That wasn't a good sign.

**~Jade~**

I led her to the Black Box Theater where I knew we could practice in peace. We entered to see it was empty, something I knew Tori didn't like. I tossed my bag down and waited with crossed arms. She set her bag down on a chair and moved to stand close enough but not too close to me. She was already on edge.

"So, what are we doing for this thing?" I demanded. Vega shifted her feet before answering.

"Um, we could…we could simulate a theft of some sort?" she suggested. I nodded slowly, trying to flesh out the idea. I held up a hand when one came to mind.

"How about **you** be a helpless old woman and **I'll** be the mugger who tries to steal your purse?" I proposed, putting emphasis on who I would be and who she would be. She frowned, clearly hearing the condescending tone I used. I just waited for her reply.

"Fine, let's just figure this out," she grumbled. I shrugged again and we fell into our plans. It went well so far but I was still skeptical it could work. Vega was going about it in a stiff manner. Probably because she was still scared. I reprimanded her for it, telling her it needed to flow to look real. In response to the criticism, she tried hard to fix what she was doing. It wouldn't help matters to get upset at her so I kept in mind that she was trying now. We took a short break after a few practices. When I returned, Vega was already back. She had taken a seat on one of the chairs with her back to me. I snuck in as slowly as I could; glancing to see she hadn't noticed my arrival. Vega actually did ok through this whole practice but now I wanted to have my fun. I scolded myself for such a thought concerning Vega and being good at anything and instead, began to quietly make my way over to the unsuspecting girl. It was the perfect opportunity to scare the wazz out of her and I just couldn't let it pass.

It was slow going because my boots' weight would make too much sound if I so much as picked up the pace. Vega sat with her hands resting on her lap, deep in thought if her expression was any indication. At that moment, I grabbed her by the shoulders and she launched out of her chair with a scream. I was not prepared for what came next. Her actions managed to slam the chair back into me so that I lost my balance and stumbled, making it hard for me to dodge the incoming fist that came next. I staggered, taking the hit straight on, and then tumbled into another chair behind me, falling into it so that I was perfectly perched. I was lucky not to have fallen backward onto the hard floor. I held my throbbing head with a groan and then pulled back to make sure there was no blood. There wasn't. Vega's frantic apology jumbled together as she rushed to see the damage. I just pushed her away with a snarl and got up, my temper flaring.

"What the hell! Why did you swing on me?" I exclaimed, holding a hand over my face. I could practically feel the bruise forming. She fumbled with her words, fear and worry in her eyes while her hands wrung themselves repeatedly.

"I-I got scared and just swung! How could you do that and expect me not to react that way?" she demanded, her hands on her hips. I raised an eyebrow at the sudden mood change. She was scared one minute and furious the next. A smirk graced my face. Vega was seriously more than she seemed.

"Why are you smiling like that?" she asked, freezing in her rant. Her anger was put on hold as I let my hand drop and stood.

"Alright, I won't viciously beat you for this, but you should know that I **will** get you back at some time, someday. I'll get you when you least expect it," I promised, my voice calm but threatening. I glared at her and then moved to pick up my bag. I pushed past her on my way out, making sure she almost fell. That practice sure went well. I grumbled but continued on without looking back.

**~Tori~**

The door slammed behind her and I was left alone. Geez, I felt worse and ten times scared than before we began this practice. Hopefully, whatever Jade had planned, wasn't too bad. I really didn't mean to hurt her after all. I collected my bag and headed out to the parking lot, calling Trina on the way. Man, I hated waiting for something bad to happen.

* * *

Lunch Time. Salad with

big lettuce. Still worried.

Mood = Buggin'

* * *

I had walked into school the next day feeling no better than before. My hand hurt from connecting with Jade's face but it was barely bruised. I could only imagine how Jade felt. At study hall Jade waited for me, a bitter frown on her face, but no pain present. Her face was expertly covered up, and if I didn't look too hard, there was hardly a shade of color around her eye. She gave me no time to talk, only shooting me a look that told me to follow like before. That was all I needed. Our second rehearsal began once we returned to the Black Box Theater.

I was sure Jade would get her revenge this time around but when nothing happened my nerves stacked even higher. As much as I knew about Jade, I learned pretty fast that she wasn't predictable. I was now absolutely sure she had something planned for our actual scene in front of the class. The only thing I did note about our second practice was the intense concentration in Jade's fierce gaze. She was serious and unforgiving, yelling at me when anything went wrong. It was like a verbal beating that only served to fray my nerves further. We stopped when the bell rang. Jade said nothing and left swiftly. I groaned and held a hand to my head. This was not getting any easier. Later today was the performance for our scene but I was unwilling to go.

I took a moment to collect myself before leaving for class. I would just have to deal with it. So by the time lunch rolled around things were no better. I was still worrying myself to pieces. I sat out at the Asphalt Café with Cat and Andre, chewing on the straw of my drink. Andre was currently telling Cat something and she listened with rapt attention. I distractedly stabbed my salad repeatedly in an attempt to look like I was eating but really I was keeping Jade in my sight a few tables away. She was scowling and telling Beck something. He looked a little upset when he replied. What was up with those two? Jade yelled something at him which looked like 'no' but I wasn't too sure.

"Look at her," I spoke up, eyeing Jade suspiciously.

"Who?" Andre questioned.

"Jade!" I responded, as if it was obvious. My eyes finally left the arguing couple to land on Andre. My eyebrows slanted down at a harsh angle, trying to appear angry when all I really felt was anxiety and fear. I wondered why I held any interest in someone who made me feel so crumby all the time.

"I guarantee you she's telling Beck all about how she's going to punch me when we do our scene," I stated certainly. Andre looked at me in slight concern when Cat spoke up.

"I wonder if mirrors work in outer space," she said with genuine interest. Our eyebrows creased in confusion at Cat. She said the strangest things but in an odd way they sometimes were legitimate questions that I was sure others thought about. The difference was; Cat just spoke them aloud without worry that someone might judge her. The question threw me off for a few seconds before I was back to the problem at hand.

"I mean what if she really hits me?" I whined, worry clear in my tone.

"Bleed, burst into tears," Andre responded casually. I rolled my eyes at the obvious answer. I was looking for a different one, maybe reassurance, but Andre had a way of joking about the obvious.

"I'm serious," I told him sternly.

"It's stage fighting; no one really hits anybody," he pointed out.

"Yeah, but accidents happen, and what if she makes an accident happen on purpose?" I argued, voicing my main concern. He wasn't getting it. I lifted my fork to take a bite but my previous stabbing collected too much. I shook it off in frustration.

"You know the word mirror has only six letters and half of them are 'R's?" Cat said suddenly, glancing from me to Andre. We paused to give her another look before continuing.

"Haven't you and Jade been rehearsin'?" Andre asked me with a point of his finger. I shifted, my eyes averting to my food. Just bringing up our practices made me uneasy.

"Yeah, yesterday after school and this morning during study hall," I responded, wondering where he was getting at.

"And did she hit you for real?" he questioned. I looked at him, trying my hardest not to give away the fact that I accidentally hit Jade instead. It was far from on purpose though and wasn't an accident on purpose either but that was beside the point.

"No, 'cause she probably wants to wait and do it in front of the whole class just to humiliate me," I protested. I wouldn't put it past Jade to get back at me for what happened.

"Well if she does she loses half a letter grade," Andre told me truthfully. He didn't seem to understand that getting hurt and losing half a letter grade weren't the same.

"Great, she gets an A minus and I get a broken eye and a black nose," I pouted, going back to stabbing my salad. As scared as I was, I actually wouldn't blame Jade if she retaliated. Andre tilted his head, puzzled.

"I think you meant-" he tried to correct me but I silenced him.

"I know what I meant," I said quickly, leveling a glare at him.

"My dog has a black nose! It's so cute! It's like a baby meatball!" Cat interjected, tapping her own nose with a smile. Andre and I looked to her silently, my patience thinning.

"Meatballs are brown," Andre told the bubbly redhead. Her eyes shifted in thought before anger took over suddenly.

"You're so mean to me!" she accused, gathering her stuff and stomping away. We watched her go before I eyed her abandoned food.

"You want half her sandwich?" I asked Andre. He hummed a positive and we each grabbed a half.

"Hey baby sister," Trina suddenly greeted brightly, walking past our table.

"Hey," I responded.

"Andy," Trina said to Andre. He sighed.

"Andre," he corrected.

"You wanna sit with us?" I asked, happy to include my sister even though she was a pain. Trina turned around to look at me.

"No," she answered bluntly before strutting away. My smile fell slightly. Trina seemed to think being with us diminished her popularity. I didn't have the heart to tell her she did that to herself. She was more than overbearing. I watched as she tried to join a table of what she believed to be uber popular people. They scattered when Robbie joined her. I shook my head and chuckled. I began to start up my conversation with Andre when we were distracted by Trina spitting milk in Robbie's face. We shook our heads at the scene but ignored them. We tried again to start up our conversation but were put on hold again by Rex flying pantless through the air and landing on the table Robbie and Trina sat at. Robbie screamed and collected the puppet, demanding to know who took his pants. He left in a hurry, Trina telling him to not bother calling when he told her he would. A few minutes after that debacle, the bell rang and we had to return to class. I was not looking forward to it. Please, spare me.

* * *

Time for stage fighting class.

Should I ditch? I wish.

Mood = Freaked

* * *

I sat down in the Black Box Theater and looked around nervously. I was pretty early so there were only a few students present. Good, no Jade just yet. I was about to let out a calming breath when the door swung open and Jade marched in with Beck. The sight of her made me tense up again. Why didn't she just ditch? Jade eyed me with a scowl that morphed into a fake, tight lipped smile. She took a seat, her eyes never leaving me. I fidgeted at the intense gaze. This was it. Beck offered me a smile when he sat, catching Jade's attention. She elbowed him and he turned to her with a small smile, not at all concerned. The rest of the class filed in soon after. Our teacher stood up front and got our attention.

Once he had us settled, he began calling people up before retreating to the back with the sound effects remote. I watched as different pairs went up, all of which looked believable. I sat with wide eyes, temporarily forgetting my own fight scene I was dreading. I almost didn't hear when the teacher called on me and Jade next. Jade stood quickly from her seat and sent me a smile that made my stomach churn. She seemed eager to start but I still wasn't. Regardless, I still had to get it done. Jade and I walked to the front. Andre handed me the props I needed before sitting down while Jade pulled on last minute things to complete her look.

"Um, ok, for our scene I'm going to play an old lady who's walking home from a bingo game," I introduced, wary of Jade standing right behind me.

"And I play a brutal mugger," Jade quipped. I glanced at her, seeing a proud smile appear on her face.

"Yes, a brutal mugger who mugs me. Without actually hurting me," I continued, turning again to catch Jade's stare. Her eyes narrowed but she didn't look up to anything, yet. At least I hoped she didn't do anything. Jade shook her head and moved to get in place.

"As always, be careful, and if anything goes wrong, yell the safe word which is butternut," Russ instructed. The class looked at him weird but he didn't seem affected. I busily put on last touches while Jade was already standing at the ready. Here we go.

**~Jade~**

At lunch, I had fought with Beck over what I planned to do to Vega as punishment for hitting me. He was disappointed with me and warned that I shouldn't go through with my plan but I wasn't going to hear it. I was tired of hearing his scolding. I damn well knew what I was doing but I was going to do it anyway. He asked what was going on and I told him my plans. Now he had to deal with it. He was either with me or against me. At times like this I felt like he actually liked Vega. It irked me that he did and I didn't like that either. He could run off with the little goody two shoes if he wanted to.

They would be a better match after all. Beck deserved happiness for putting up with me for so long, but at the same time, I didn't want him to find that happiness with her. I didn't know exactly why, except for the lame reason that I might want her for myself. Like that was ever going to happen. I shuddered at the thought, wondering if I had done so for a positive or negative reason. I didn't really want that, did I? I brought my mind back to the present so I could focus on the task at hand. That's right, Vega was about to be in a world of trouble. I couldn't think about this never ending conflict right now.

"Ok guys, ready?" our teacher asked. I crouched and held up my fists while Vega looked over at me nervously.

"And…" he began. Vega suddenly panicked.

"Butternut!" she cried out, bringing everything to a halt.

"What?" I screamed, flinging my hands up in irritation. The class all raised their eyebrows curiously.

"What's the problem?" our teacher inquired, seriously wondering what was wrong. Vega fiddled with the cane in her hand before answering in her best attempt at calm. I could still hear the note of worry though. I seriously got her all wound up didn't I?

"I was testing the safe word. It works!" she responded in some relief. I rolled my eyes. Vega was tightly wound up more than I had initially thought. That was a good thing of course but she shouldn't have bothered worrying so much. As much as I would have loved to hurt her, I preferred to stay out of unnecessary trouble. My plan would do just that.

"Ok, I'm ready," she announced, not sounding ready at all. We got into our positions.

"And, action," our teacher told us with a flick of his pencil. We acted out our scene just as we had done many times before, but this time, when Vega swung her cane, and missed, I continued to fall to the ground with a cry of pain. It was immediately believable, making everyone certain I had really been hit by her. Although, I'm sure she was certain that she hadn't. Her expression was beyond confused. I wanted to grin in triumph at her spluttering inability to talk but I had to play up my injury.

"Butternut!" I screamed, pushing off the floor to stand up. I made sure to apply the next step in my plan before I fully showed my face. Russ ran over just as I threw off the beanie I wore.

"Butternut!" I shouted again, this time sounding more like a curse. Our teacher and the class rushed over. Everything was going perfect. There wasn't a calm face in the room. Vega was going to regret hitting me.

**~Tori~**

No, I was really, really, really sure I didn't hit Jade! I knew I didn't so why did I feel so guilty? Oh right, I did hit her, just not now. Was she finally putting that devious plan I knew she would employ to good use?

"She's bleeding!" Cat exclaimed, catching everyone's attention. I looked over in shock. Yes, yes she was. I was sure I hadn't really hit her so she must be up to something. Beck placed a hand on Jade's shoulder, asking her if she was ok.

"No, Tori hit me in the face for real!" she accused angrily. Everyone looked at me.

"No I didn't!" I denied, still certain that I hadn't.

"Tell that to my bloody eye!" Jade retorted, wiping at the red staining her pallid skin. She growled out her pain while Beck comforted her. She wasn't really bleeding. It was all a hoax. I repeated this to myself to remain calm.

"Alright somebody grab a chair," our teacher called out. I rushed to right the wrong I knew I didn't commit in the first place, hoping my actions would call off this ridiculous lie Jade had set up. I looked around me and then spotted a chair. I ran over and picked it up, setting it down close to Jade so she could sit. As soon as she did, however, the furniture under her collapsed, sending her crashing to the ground. Everyone froze and I felt like I would be dead meat any second. That didn't help at all.

"That was a breakaway chair!" Russ yelled at me. Jade turned to glare at me, the hateful fire I had seen on my first day was returning.

"Aw butternut!" I groaned out loud, tired with all this. Beck pulled Jade to her feet and ushered her to a stable chair. She kept smacking away his hands and grumbling the whole time. A hand stayed pressed to her injury while someone ran for a bag of ice. They returned shortly and Russ handed it to her. The whole class gathered around her in concern. Jade looked unhappy to be surrounded but she allowed it. Probably just to milk her performance of being injured for all it was worth. I wasn't usually so bitter but Jade was someone I had not encountered before. I was watching on with a mix of emotions. I couldn't have hit her for real but the discoloration under her eye said otherwise, making me appear guilty despite what I knew. Cat turned away from Jade to confront me.

"Why did you hit Jade in the face with a cane?" she accused with wide eyes.

"I didn't!" I yelled, unable to hold back the irritation I felt. I can't believe this is happening.

"Ok, I believe you, don't hit me," Cat whimpered, holding out a hand in defense. I rolled my eyes and sighed. What, now I'm suddenly a threat?

"Will you help me out here?" I pleaded to Andre. Yeah, Andre will help me.

"I'm sure Tori didn't mean to whack Jade in the face with a cane," he said on my behalf. I growled and looked away before defending myself.

"Why does everyone think I hit her?" I asked.

"Well, we were watching you guys do a scene, you hit her across the face with your cane, she fell down, and now her eye's all bloody," Andre explained simply. The problem was, it wasn't that simple.

"Well that doesn't mean I hit her," I denied with a shake of my head. The argument sounded lame even to me but, darn it, I didn't hit her! Andre didn't look all that convinced.

"I kinda think it does," he confirmed. I groaned and walked over to ask the source.

"Jade, you know I didn't hit you. I swung but I missed," I said desperately.

"Look, I…" she began, but she almost fell into a faint and everyone rushed to help at once. Jade really was a great actress and I would have been impressed if she wasn't using her skill to make me look bad. They decided to take her to the nurse while I tried to tell them for the millionth time that I didn't hit her. Jade asked to call her mom and Beck agreed.

"I'll call your mom," he assured her.

"She doesn't need her mom. Don't bother her mom!" I disagreed with a point of my finger.

"I gotta call her mom," Beck told me without a doubt. I sighed in defeat. Beck even believed her. Jade let her personal pity party lead her to the door but she stopped when she decided to add one last touch to the situation in the form of her next words.

"And I thought we were just starting to be friends," she told me in an uneven voice. My mouth hung open in offense. How dare she! I've tried to befriend her this whole time and she dumps this on me? If I hadn't already been accused of hitting her I would consider hitting her now. I shook the violent thought out of my head. I wouldn't get anywhere like that. I'm not like Jade and I never would be.

"But-I didn't-" I stuttered, knowing my words wouldn't fix anything even if I tried. The class, plus Andre and Cat, left me alone. I groaned again. I couldn't help but wonder if the teachers were often tricked by their students since they obviously knew how to act but I quickly reminded myself that not all students were like Jade. I took a deep breath and then forced my way through the rest of the day. I wasn't going to let her put me down for something I didn't do.

* * *

OMG - I just got called to the

GUIDANCE COUNSELOR'S

OFFICE. Whyyyyy?!

Mood = Frustrated

* * *

The next day held little hope of getting any better. I walked into my first period class and almost immediately got called back out. Apparently, the guidance counselor, Lane, needed to talk to me about what happened with Jade. I fought for the truth as much as I could but he wasn't buying it. To top it off, a security officer stood in the room with us. Really? I'm not dangerous! He called me out on things and butted in a lot when I tried to explain. He even felt threatened multiple times from the slightest movements I made. They both acted like I would try something violent. It only served to irritate me more which in turn just made me seem guiltier. Eventually, I had enough. I asked if confessing to hurting Jade would free me from this round-about conversation. I received an affirmative so I agreed quickly. I was told, as punishment, that I had two weeks of detention and I had to clean up the Black Box Theater. It was going to be used in a play involving a food fight and I was appointed to clean up the mess afterwards. I whined but had to accept the unfair punishment. I left, cursing Jade and bitterly hoping she was happy I got in trouble for something I didn't do. The worst part was, I didn't have it in me to strike back. I couldn't fight fire with fire. I might get something worse in return anyway. This was Jade after all. I would just have to suck it up.

* * *

Um, whoa. Andre just

told me something X-TREMELY

interesting. I KNEW IT!

Mood = Grrrrr

* * *

I showed up at the Black Box Theater as scheduled. The security officer was waiting for me with a few pails and scrapers to peel off the caked on food. I accepted them with a frown and got to work. Even though Andre told me he overheard Jade and Beck talking about Jade's ruse, solidifying my innocence, I still showed up. Yes, I had a witness now with evidence that I wasn't guilty, but I wouldn't take it. Andre curiously wondered how she really got the black eye but I wasn't going to tell him so I feigned ignorance. Andre stuck around long enough to hear Beck bug Jade about the same thing but she refused to fess up. He left shortly after that so he could relay the news to me. I wondered why she hadn't told Beck about our rehearsal gone wrong. I thanked Andre for the trouble and took the punishment, not saying a thing. There was too much in Jade's favor anyway. As I scraped a particularly nasty chunk of food off the wall, the security officer walked over to inspect the mystery substance.

"Is that mac and cheese?" he questioned, leaning over and disrupting my thoughts.

"Who cares?" I yelled in defeated exasperation. His eyebrows shot up as he left me to my work.

"Just wanted to know if it was mac and cheese," he grumbled, going back to his phone and his post. I rolled my eyes and got back to scraping. I almost got the substance off when a familiar pair of boots stopped close to me. I looked up at my tormentor for the past few days. I expected a smug smile, but instead, I saw something almost like an apology in the clear blue-green eyes. It was reluctant but still present. I gazed into her eyes a little longer before looking away.

"I don't get it," Jade finally said with raised arms. She dropped them heavily and shook her head.

"What?" I asked, not understanding.

"I know Andre told you that I faked everything. The blood, the fainting-what is that, mac and cheese?" she began seriously before shifting into one of curious disgust.

"Looks like it right?" the security officer spoke up. I glared at him before standing up.

"Why are you here?" I questioned her, unable to comprehend her presence. She got what she wanted so why can't she leave me in peace for once?

"Why are you here? Why didn't you tell on me?" she responded with a shake of her head, her tone straining to understand.

"'Cause, we both go to school here and it's not going to be much fun for either one of us if we're fighting all the time," I answered honestly. I may have been the one responsible for Jade's injury in the end but Jade used it to her advantage to make me look bad. It was all to get back at me and she succeeded so the least she could do was leave me alone; but I had a feeling she would never do that. I couldn't really decide if pining over this beautiful enemy was worth her hanging around just to hurt me. I didn't like that I was willing to find out anyway.

**~Jade~**

I watched as Vega walked past me to the other side of the room. The hurt and anger in her soft brown eyes made me feel something I hadn't felt in a long time, regret. I hated to admit it but it was still there, reminding me that I wasn't as cold-hearted as I made people think I was. Beck caught on to how the whole thing affected me. He tried to talk sense into me but I just ignored him every time. I had enough to deal with, like a certain Vega who was making me feel things I didn't want to. That was the main reason for treating her so bad. I kind of wanted her to fight back in a way, to see what she was capable of, but she just knelt in defeat. What was up with that?

"So, you're just gonna let me get away with it?" I asked in disbelief. She only spared me a glance over her shoulder. It was time to get her fired up again. If there was one thing I had come to realize was that I liked seeing that side of her that bit back, that hot-headed trait. Yeah, it could get her into serious trouble, but so what, that was the point. It was free and strong and showed a side to her that wasn't soft and yielding. It was almost like my own hatred of things that spurred me on.

"You took detention and a lower grade and you're scraping crusty pudding off the wall on a Friday night just so I won't get in trouble?" I inquired, seeing how far I could push her. I had to understand what made Vega do this. She had the patience of a saint. No one had stood up to me this long. That was a feat no one had achieved; well, besides Beck but even he gave in sometimes. Usually the people I picked on already ran away by now, but not Vega.

"Pretty much," she said with a nod. She accepted it so easily it ate away at my confidence.

"Well, you can't be nice to me when I've been mean to you. That's not how it works," I disagreed.

"Well then try being nice to me sometime. Maybe that'll work. Now go play. I gotta scrape this onion dip off the wall," she retorted, leaning in to sniff said substance. Her face scrunched in the most adorable way. I mentally kicked myself at the thought.

"Or onion pus," she corrected with a sarcastic nod. I gave her a calculating stare before making my decision. I couldn't quite grasp why I made this particular choice but I just did. I told myself it would help in the long run to silence the questions I constantly had swimming in my head. I walked over to set my bag down and switched it for some supplies. If I wasn't helping out of the goodness of my heart, I was helping for the simple fact that she stood up to me on many accounts and deserved it. Hell, she even punched me, whether it was intentional or not, and got away with not getting a knuckle sandwich in return. The girl was strong and I had to at least give credit to her for that. I began to scrape the food off a beam behind her, making her turn around to raise a questioning brow at me. I faked a smile and continued. Vega looked away, a thoughtful expression on her face. She must have thought I was up to something again but she dropped whatever she was thinking about in favor of carrying on. I worked at scraping off a stubborn substance when I decided it was way too quiet.

"This…might be more fun with some tunes," I suggested. I made my way over to the panel on the wall, slipping on a stray piece of food underfoot. I caught myself quickly and flipped on the music. Damn food. I watched her smile at me in a way that had me thinking my little slip up and smooth over was cute, or something equally sickening, to her. No, she would never think of me like that. I reprimanded myself for the thought but it was already done. Vega shook her head like she was doing the same thing. I smiled at her and walked back over, swinging the towel I held along the way. Maybe I was right? Vega turned back to the wall, biting her lip to keep in the laughter curling her lips. We bobbed to the music and continued to scrape off the food. Vega turned to the security officer and invited him over while I beckoned with my own scraper. He thought about it before agreeing. I offered him another scraper, energetic and fake. He got into it even more after that.

We danced around a little before I saw a chance at escape. I may have wanted to help Vega to make up for what I did, a choice I didn't like at all, but if I could get out of it, and get her out too, then I saw that as a better alternative. The thought of helping Vega so much was going to make me sick, I swear. I leaned over the small table between us and tapped her on the shoulder, my eyes staying on the security guard just in case. Vega looked up at me, waiting for me to explain what I wanted. I motioned for her to look behind her so she did. She looked back at me, and almost as one, we knew what to do. We set down our scrapers and picked up our bags. With a few shuffling moves, we made our way out of the Black Box Theater before the security guard even knew what was happening. We made it outside, laughing. I walked ahead with Vega jogging to catch up.

"Hey, you don't think he'll come running to drag us back in do you?" she questioned. I glanced at her, normal boredom in my expression back in place, covering up the temporary smile that sprung up.

"Possibly. Are you scared that he will?" I answered, digging in my bag for my keys. She shook her head and crossed her arms.

"Nah, hopefully he'll clean up the rest of the mess before he even realizes we left," she joked, somehow at ease despite potentially getting in trouble again. She seemed to like the thrill of ditching. Did little Vega actually enjoy the taste of misbehaving? I was so looking forward to getting her to disregard what was right more often. I raised a pierced brow at the bright girl beside me in amusement.

"Being reckless now aren't we?" I said teasingly.

"No, just trying to let loose. One less thing to hopefully not worry about. I still have two weeks of detention," she said, frowning slightly. I stopped by my car and leaned on the door thoughtfully. I played with my keys a little before speaking up.

"I'm not apologizing for what I did but I'm not agreeing with it either," I told her carefully. She tilted her head questioningly but I just shrugged. Silence reined between us before she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear shyly.

"Thanks, I don't think I would have ditched without you to suggest it," she mumbled. I smirked and crossed my arms.

"I didn't suggest a thing. You knew what was going to happen and you did it anyway," I pointed out. Vega opened her mouth to protest but I cut her off.

"No, don't deny it. Plus, it's good to take risks once in a while," I encouraged her. She closed her mouth and smiled, nodding. She pulled out her phone and called someone, but when she got no answer she groaned and hung up.

"Trouble in paradise?" I asked, gesturing to the phone in her hand. Her eyebrows creased but she answered anyway.

"I can't get a hold of Trina and I know my parents are working late…" she began, her eyes downcast. I shifted uncomfortably, not liking the direction my thoughts were going. Why can't I just hang onto my hateful thoughts of Vega? Instead I find ways to be…nice to her. Oh hell, I think I really am going to be sick.

"Need a lift?" I asked, almost too quiet to hear. She looked up at me in surprise.

"You don't have to do that," she said with a shake of her head.

"What, don't trust me?" I guessed, amused. She shook her head faster.

"No, no, I mean- I know you don't like me and it's no big deal, I could just bug Trina. She'll come eventually," she stuttered. Why was I even going out of my way to be accommodating to someone who was nothing short of annoying to me? I don't think I will ever figure that out so I just tried again.

"Ok then call Trina and leave a message telling her to come in the next ten minutes or I'll personally take a pair of scissors to her favorite shoes. If she doesn't show up by then I'll give you a lift in exchange for the shoes," I bargained with a straight face. Vega looked at me in amazement before doing what I said. She left the message and a text as well before pocketing her phone.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked suddenly. I bristled at the soft and curious tone.

"It isn't for you if that's what you're thinking. It's technically a win-win for me. If she doesn't show up I get to trash her prized shoes, but if she does, I don't have to put up with you anymore," I spat, moving to push off my car and circle to the driver's side. I should have just ditched her by now. What's wrong with me? Vega frowned at my answer.

"What happened to 'need a lift'?" she demanded with her arms crossed. I wanted to confess it was a moment of weakness but instead I whirled on the half Latina with a growl. I couldn't be weak, especially not for Vega of all people. She couldn't just show up and command my attention like this!

"I was trying to be polite for once!" I snarled in retaliation, my frustration at myself reaching an all-time high. The sharp angle of my eyebrows pulling over my nose made me suck in a breath and hold a hand over my eye. The bruise stung a little and snapped me out of my angry state. I forgot about the very real injury I sustained. Vega reverted back to her friendly nature in the blink of an eye.

"You ok?" she questioned, raising a hand but holding it in the air uselessly, afraid and unsure what to do. I glared at her.

"No, you belted me in the face, remember?" I snapped. She looked genuinely sorry and frowned sadly.

"I really am sorry for that," she muttered weakly. I dropped my hand and sighed.

"Whatever," I responded, the fight leaking out of me at the look on her face. I unlocked my car and chucked in my bag before closing it and leaning on the door. I bent over a little so that I stared at the ground, avoiding her caring gaze. She was suddenly closer to me than before. She hesitated only once before raising a hand and softly touching the deep colored bruise marring my fair skin. Her touch was so soft and careful I barely felt it. She traced around the edge and then froze, her eyes locking with mine.

"Does it really hurt that bad?" she whispered, finally bringing her hand down to wring together with the other.

"No, not really," I replied, just as quietly, my skin still tingling from her touch. It was the first time I ever allowed her contact with me and I found that I liked it. We looked down at the ground and then back up at each other at the same time. A strange expression crossed her face before the odd silence was broken by bright lights. Trina drove up and honked the horn.

"Hurry up before that weirdo cuts up my fav boots!" Trina yelled out the window.

"It worked," Vega stated; an impressed smile directed at me. Of course I could manipulate her sister so efficiently. I had done it many times before. I smiled, just a little cocky, and nodded.

"It works every time. You forget I knew your sister before you came along," I reminded her. She nodded and began walking but turned back around.

"I'll keep that in mind," she promised, a small hesitant wave offered as a farewell. I only nodded once and climbed in my car. I needed a coffee and the bloodiest horror film I could find to forget how nice I had been to her.

**~Tori~**

I plopped in the passenger seat while Trina shot daggers at Jade. Little did she know; I agreed with Jade's plan wholeheartedly. Weird, I agreed with Jade on something. Well, it was something that involved Trina and most everyone had a bone to pick with her. I watched as Jade backed out, her retreating car disappearing onto the street ahead of us. We followed her out and then we were heading home. I briefly wondered what just happened but decided picking it apart would only tarnish the good vibes I got from it so instead I filed it away for safe keeping. If Jade was capable of this small but hopeful sign of friendship then maybe she wasn't so bad after all? I could only hope time would tell.


	4. The Birthweek Song

**~Tori~**

Every year we had to treat Trina like a freakin' princess for a whole **week**. She wasn't happy with just a day. Nope. Every year I'm scrambling to find something to get her that's good enough. But nothing is good enough for Trina. That was the problem. Here I was before class, sitting on the steps of the main hall, searching online for anything that could possibly be deemed worthy to get Trina. Ugh, but no matter what I stumbled upon I knew it wouldn't work. Was it too late to get a new sister? No, that was pretty mean, but really, who the heck has a whole week instead of a day for their birthday? Oh, that's right, Trina! I stared at the screen of my laptop with a frown, hoping for a miracle.

"No…no…ugh, no…hey! No!" I grumbled as I searched through a catalog of useless things.

"Hey Tori!" Cat's bright voice greeted me as she came down the stairs.

"Hi," Robbie added, following her.

"Yeah…hey, hi," I mumbled, distracted. I couldn't afford to look up while I searched.

"Whatcha doin'?" Cat asked. I could hear her but somehow my brain couldn't connect anything thoughtful to my mouth.

"Thanks," I replied, wondering why that came out but not bothering to correct it. I think I was onto something. I stared intently while my fingers flew across the screen.

"Hey, what up girl, you got a numb tongue?" Rex piped up. I shot an irritated glare at him but went back to what I was doing. Must, not, get, distracted.

"Alright, that's a time out mister!" Robbie commanded. I saw him and Cat fumble to shove Rex in his backpack out of my peripheral.

"No, no time out! Don't you put me in this backpack! I'm serious Rob!" Rex refused. I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

"Hey, what goes on?" Andre's voice chimed in. He must have just got here. At least I think he did. It was getting hard to focus on anything past what I was doing.

"We're going to go get some iced coffee," Robbie answered.

"I thought caffeine makes you vibrate?" Andre responded, confused.

"Sometimes it's nice," Robbie replied casually. I was barely tuned into what they were talking about but I brightened when I saw something Trina might like.

"Ooh, a massage helmet!" I exclaimed, shifting to sit on the stair. I looked to the description and began to read now that I had everyone's attention.

"A stylish helmet that massages your head. That sounds fun, right?" I asked them, tucking my hair behind my ear then looking up at them. They mumbled their response, uncertain but trying to be supportive. I stomped my feet with a defeated frown, unhappy.

"No! It's awful!" I shouted, wishing I could just find something already. They grumbled an agreement to support me. I whined and Cat sat down next to me to lean on my shoulder.

"Why is she all…?" Andre began to question but I cut across him.

"'Cause it's only three days until Trina's birthweek," I told him, my voice wavering with hopelessness.

"Birth_week_?" Cat questioned, clearly confused like the others.

"You mean her birth_day_?" Robbie tried to correct. I looked up at him.

"Yeah, you don't know my sister. She thinks one day isn't enough celebration so she calls it her birth_week_. And if I don't get her an amazing present I'm gonna have to hear her complain about it for the next six months," I explained. I huffed out a breath and glanced from one of them to the next.

"Alright, alright. Chill down. We'll help you through this," Andre stated with a clap of his hands. He walked over to sit down while sliding his backpack off his shoulders. Robbie and Cat agreed while Robbie came to sit down too.

"The perfect present for Trina," Cat began.

"Something amazing," Andre added. After that we all fell quiet. I knew it would be harder than I thought. Not even my friends could help me think of something.

"Just get the massage helmet!" Rex yelled from his place in Robbie's backpack. I kicked it, fed up with his smart aleck quips.

"Ah, my ribs!" he yelled. Well, he was just a puppet, so I didn't feel bad for feeling satisfied that I 'hurt' him. Robbie didn't seem to care either so he deserved it. By the time classes started we hadn't come up with anything. I tried not to let it get in the way of learning, but if anyone even remotely knew what kind of person Trina was, they would understand how important it was that that came first. When lunch rolled around I couldn't even eat. I was too busy making a list of possible ideas on my laptop. The others made sure to eat first before taking out pens, pencils, and paper to try helping me make a list.

"Suggestions for birthweek presents for Trina," I stated as I labeled the document. I looked up to see my friends in various forms of interest, ranging from listening just enough to not at all. That not at all was probably Jade who was busy cutting something up. That wasn't new. It was weird that she had even stuck around this long. With Beck absent I was sure she would find somewhere else to be.

"Ok, Andre, start us off," I said, turning to my best friend. He looked like he had a good idea so I waited hopefully.

"Cheese," he announced, confident. I frowned. Even Cat didn't look impressed. He looked at me, saw my expression, and looked away.

"Let's not do cheese," he muttered, crossing it off his paper.

"Robbie," I called, looking to him across the table.

"Lotion," he answered with a flick of his pencil. Jade shot him a look that clearly questioned him. It was weird but I had to agree with her.

"Or various lotions," he continued. Like that fixed his suggestion.

"Gross. Cat," I replied, moving on.

"Well, for my last birthday I thought my parents were going to get me a bike, but when I got home from school my brother was trying to cut off his hair so my mom started yelling-" she rambled until I lost patience. I was already stressed from all this so she needed to get to the point or be quiet so I moved on.

"Jade," I shouted over her. She faded to silence while Jade looked up, the blue-green of her eyes clear and prominent in the sun.

"Yeah," Jade replied, disinterested.

"What should I get Trina?" I asked her. She flicked her eyes back down to her activity before answering.

"Talent," she decided bluntly. I wasn't amused. I should have known she wouldn't be of any help but I had to try. Sinjin sighed next to her.

"Jade is so pretty," he stated, staring at her with his chin in his palm. I had to agree with him but I wasn't stupid enough to say it out loud. Jade's fierce gaze pulled back up. She looked wazzed.

"Three, two, one…" she began to count down. Sinjin was quick to run away. How was this kind of thing normal?

"Does anyone have a good idea about a present for Trina?" I questioned them one last time.

"You people give me a rash," Jade stated, finally fed up with us again. Fine. Good riddance. I watched as she stomped away.

"Rash? What kind of rash?" Rex shouted after her. How did that matter? We all shook our heads at him. A notification popped up and Robbie looked at his phone with a sigh.

"It's my grandmother again," he grumbled.

"Who else would call you?" Rex degraded him once again.

"Shh!" he told the puppet before answering the phone.

"Hi mammaw," he said, his expression bracing for the worst. From what I heard, Robbie's grandma wasn't the easiest person to handle. I went back to my own thoughts while Robbie fought with his grandma and Cat giggled next to him. The call ended with Robbie getting hung up on.

"What's your grandmother bugging about?" Andre asked him. Robbie explained the situation but I stopped listening again. What the heck was I going to get Trina?!

"Oh, will one of you come with me?" Robbie suddenly asked. My attention split again, wondering where he needed someone to go with him. If it was his grandma's house then no way. Cat jumped in her seat with a smile.

"Sure! I love old people! It's so cute how they shake when they pour their juice," she volunteered. I looked up at her, my irritation growing, but I plastered on a smile and laughed without humor.

"You know what that makes me think of?" I asked her.

"What?" she questioned.

"Nothing!" I shouted. Her bright smile fell at my tone of voice. Geez, I sounded like Jade, didn't I? I wasn't going to take it back though.

"Now what am I going to get Trina for her birthweek?" I demanded to know. I let out a sigh and rested my head in my hand. Shuffling next to me made me look to see that Sinjin was back again.

"How about a bobble head that looks like me?" he suggested. I turned to glare at him as he made the head bobble. There was only one way to get rid of him.

"My dad's a cop," I told him seriously.

"Movin' on," he said, walking away quickly. I sighed heavily and looked to the others, pouting. They each shook their heads and raised their hands. The bell rung at that moment and I had no choice but to pack up. This was getting ridiculous.

**~Jade~**

I sat on the floor of Beck's RV with my back leaning against his bed where he was laying. He didn't go to school because he was sick. It sucked not having him around. He wouldn't even let me in to see him for the same reason but I was confident my immune system would be able to fight whatever puny virus he had. He reluctantly let me in after I threatened to get the spare key from his house.

"So all Vega complains about is her sister's stupid present and it's driving me crazy. Of all the things she could worry about and that's what she chooses. Ugh, she's so annoying," I complained, leaning my head back and closing my eyes.

"And yet she's almost all you talk about besides how much of a jerk your dad is and the million and one things you want to do to hurt your step-mom," Beck responded.

"Don't forget that insufferable little yap box," I added, thinking of her stupid dog.

"So then why don't you just help Tori?" he suggested.

"Why would I do that? I'd rather let her suffer and deal with her whining," I answered. He let out a disappointed sound but I didn't let it get to me.

"Look, I already helped her before and it was disgusting," I grumbled.

"Then you can do it again," he replied.

"No. She can figure it out on her own," I muttered, picking at my nails.

"Maybe a hint?" he suggested next, rolling over to look at me.

"No," I snapped.

"A hint for someone else to help her then," he persisted.

"Why does it matter?" I questioned. He shrugged to the best of his ability.

"Friends do that for each other," he explained.

"I'm not her friend," I corrected him.

"Are you sure?" he inquired.

"Yes," I responded resolutely.

"But you want to be, right?" he remarked. I stayed silent with my arms crossed. I knew if I looked at him right now he would be smiling.

"I hate you," I stated, standing to collect my things and go. He just laughed.

"Love you too," he teased. I rolled my eyes and stomped out the door. Damn Beck. He knew me too well. A hint. It wouldn't hurt if I did it just right. I can't believe I've fallen this low. Stupid Vega.

**~Tori~**

* * *

OMG - I finally found

a GREAT birthday prez for Trina.

Yeee-HOOO!

Mood = Relieved

* * *

Another whole day of pacing and thinking and then I finally got it. It took a lot of searching at different places but I got the perfect present for Trina and was more than excited when I bought them right then and there. Later after school I invited Andre over for his input. I had him sit at the kitchen table and covered his eyes like he was the one I would be giving them to.

"Are you ready for this?" I asked him, a big smile on his face.

"I dunno, I can't see," he replied.

"Lookit!" I presented with a flourish as I removed my hands from his face. He sat there staring at the purple monstrosity boots on the table.

"Shoes?" he questioned. Well, he wasn't impressed, but I knew Trina would be.

"Boots!" I corrected, smacking him upside the head just for that.

"Fazzini boots!" I clarified, walking over to gesture at them.

"Ow," he responded, raising a hand to rub at his head. I ignored him. This was just too good to be true. Trina would love this!

"Trina's been dying for these. I had to go to eleven different stores before I could-" I began to explain when Trina came in. I rushed to hide them.

"Hello!" she greeted, dragging out the word as she strutted inside.

"Hey!" I responded, running a hand through my hair.

"What's up Trina?" Andre greeted too while he turned around in his chair.

"Ok, what has two thumbs and is already having a fantastic birthweek?" Trina questioned us. I raised a hand and shake my head, not knowing.

"This girl!" Trina announced with her thumbs pointed at herself as she danced in place. I smiled with raised brows at her joy.

"Check out my kicks!" she stated, rushing to display them by standing on top of the coffee table. My face fell when I saw what they were. Why me?

"Fazzini boots! Got 'em at Simone's on sale!" she exclaimed as she stomped around in a little circle to show them off some more.

"Aww," I groaned. I crossed my arms with a frown. Now what was I going to do?

"Oh don't be sad. You could borrow 'em…after I'm dead!" Trina told me while hopping off her perch then heading for the stairs. I rolled my eyes at her behavior. Andre glanced at me and silently laughed at my bad luck.

"Mom, I got Fazzini boots! Mom! MOM!" Trina shrieked as I watched her clomp up the stairs looking for our mom. I just stood there, put out.

"You're gonna have to come up with another present," Andre mentioned redundantly.

"I know that!" I shouted over the last few words he spoke. Darn it! I bent over to get the box I hid under the table and set it on top.

"I got a cheese guy. I could put together-" he began but I wasn't going to hear another idea involving cheese.

"I'm not giving her cheese," I stated resolutely while giving him a stern stare. I sat heavily in a chair.

"Maybe I should just give up and accept the fact that I'm not gonna find anything good and Trina is gonna hate me for the rest of the next six months," I said, brushing my hair back and then leaning on my hand, my eyes downcast.

"I can't believe you hit me in the head," Andre grumbled. Was he seriously still complaining about that? It wasn't even that hard.

"Help me!" I whined, pushing at his arm. He looked to be concentrating on something, his brows creasing worriedly before smoothing out before he spoke.

"Alright. Uh, how about a song?" he suggested, looking to me.

"A song? As a present for Trina?" I remarked, uncertain but interested.

"Yeah. You could write it, perform it yourself, you know, do it up real big," he explained. The more I thought about it, the more it sounded like it could work.

"That's not bad," I told him, happy with the idea. But then I realized something.

"That's-I don't know how to write a song!" I dismissed, upset again. He didn't seem worried though. In fact, he looked confident. He also looked relieved.

"Think. What has two thumbs and knows how to help a friend write a song?" he questioned. I just stared at him, my hand raised.

"This guy!" he stated, dancing in his seat like Trina had done. I couldn't help but laugh at his antics. He was a good friend.

"Let me just go get some equipment and I'll be back in a flash," he said, standing to leave. I walked him out and then waited excitedly for him to return. When he did he brought back his guitar and keyboard which he set up in the living room, hooking it to his laptop. I plopped on the other couch upside down and looked to him to start. He played around with a tune, we tried to write lyrics but gave it a rest to go back to the music, and I offered advice on what to change until we had gone through many different variations.

"Ok, how about this?" he asked me. I kept an ear out. The catchy tune made me kick my feet and bob my head, a smile coming to my face. It was good. I pulled myself up so that I was sitting facing him.

"I love that, but do you really think we're gonna be able to have a whole song ready by Trina's birthday?" I wondered, a little bit skeptic. I had no clue about making music. I just liked to sing it. Andre took a drink from his glass of lemonade, unconcerned.

"No worries. And I'll get a bangin' band in here, some girls to back you up, lights, it'll be the chiz," he promised. My brows knitted together with the last word.

"What is chiz anyway?" I asked him.

"I think it's a German sausage," he replied, but he didn't look too sure.

"Let's get back to the lyrics," he advised while I sat back on the couch.

"Nooo, I can't write lyrics. Just play more stuff on your thingy," I implored, pointing to the keyboard.

"I'll help you. Just tell me some of your favorite things about Trina," he said, laughter in his tone. I tried to think of something but it was hard to find anything to say. My silence made him look up from his pad of paper to look at me.

"I said, tell me some-" he began again but I cut him off.

"I heard ya," I said with a nod.

"Come on, dig deep," he encouraged.

"Ok, ok, um…oh, how about she's the whole reason I got into Hollywood Arts?" I suggested.

"Now you're diggin'," he approved, moving to write it down. I smiled, feeling accomplished.

"Yay, I'm diggy," I cheered. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and looked to Andre.

"Alright, now, when you think of Trina, what's the first word that pops into your head?" he questioned, looking at me before going back to the pad of paper. I thought about that for a shorter time than before.

"Crazy," I decided, certain.

"Crazy," he repeated, writing it down.

"But, I love her," I added. He added that too.

"Have you told her that lately?" he inquired.

"No, wait, are you sure this stuff is going to help us write a song?" I checked, wondering how this would all come together.

"Let's see," he answered, setting down the pad of paper and pencil to lean over to his keyboard.

"You might be crazy but have I told you lately that I love you and that you're the reason that I, da, da da, da da," he sung, complementing the words with the tune we had settled on so far. I looked at him in awe. It was starting to come together. I grinned.

"You're good," I told him in admiration. He just smiled happily and looked away. Man, I couldn't wait to perform this for Trina! This year she'll be blown away for sure!

* * *

Ahhh! Andre and I

are writing SUCH A COOL SONG.

This will be the best present Trina

EVER GOT!

Mood = Psyched

* * *

**~Jade~**

The following days after those horrible ones Vega spent moping around or wazzed that she couldn't think up a present for Trina were now replaced with her jaunty and excited speed talking that might be worse. I haven't decided. Whatever happened must be attributed to the fact that she figured out what she termed 'the best' present for the talentless Vega. What it was, I didn't know, or care, to find out. I just wanted to know if it was a product of what I had done so I nonchalantly sidled up to Andre one day between classes. I caught him at his locker and he jumped back into them when he turned and saw me there.

"Oh, hey Jade," he greeted, a note of worry in his voice.

"I see you stopped Vega from annoying everyone with her problems," I commented. He nodded.

"Yeah, we're working on-" he began but I raised a hand and he fell silent.

"I don't care. I'm just glad she's done bugging about it. She was wazzing me off. I knew I could count on you," I said, a faux smile in place along with an equally fake happy tone.

"Yeah, so, I'm gonna go…" he mumbled, pointing down the hall. He quickly ran off and I smiled proudly. I knew it I would get my way with a little scissor threatening. It always worked.

**~Tori~**

Trina's birthday was finally here. And even though it had been raining off and on it still didn't dampen my mood. This was going to be great! I felt like I was going to burst with excitement. Our parents welcomed her home when she showed up and presented her cake. They pushed her into the living room on a rolling chair to enjoy the song after she blew out her candles. I performed the song, eager to hear what Trina thought once it was all over. Depreciation of it was not what I was expecting at all. She looked so happy during the song, but now…

"Are you kidding me?" I asked her, eyes wide.

"No! Where's my birthweek present?" she repeated.

"Mom. Dad. Could you please take Andre and everyone outside?" I requested, barely holding back my anger. They looked back at me with mixed emotions on their face.

"But it's raining," our mom responded, gesturing to the glass back door where it was indeed raining again. At this point, I really didn't care. I needed to speak with Trina and it needed to be done now. I stomped over to get an umbrella then presented it to them.

"Here's an umbrella!" I stated, waiting for them to take it. They didn't look happy about it but I wasn't backing down.

"This way everyone," our dad announced, gesturing to the back door where they took everyone. I spun on Trina as soon as they were gone.

"Don't break anything," our dad told me from the back door.

"No promises," I responded tightly. He sighed and walked out to join everyone else. At least Trina looked a little worried.

"The song was your present," I told Trina. She just cocked her head in that way that made me feel degraded.

"How much did it cost?" she questioned.

"It didn't cost money," I replied with a shake of my head.

"Then it's not a present," she mocked in what she probably thought was playful. To me it was just patronizing.

"Ugh, you are unbelievable," I stated, walking away.

"I'm not the one who didn't get her sister a present for her birthweek," Trina responded, following me into the living room.

"I wrote a **song** for you. I rehearsed it! With people! I preformed it for you!" I yelled, waving my hands incredulously.

"Yeah, I think you were a little flat on that last chorus," Trina replied. Now I felt like hitting her. Instead I grabbed her by the front of her top with a growl.

"Can't hit your sister during her birthweek!" she reminded me, cringing in my grasp. I stared at her, wanting so bad to do it anyway, but I eventually let her go to walk away before spinning back around on her.

"I can't believe that you're not deep enough to appreciate a gift that totally came from my heart," I said, hurt in my tone now. All my anger had drained away.

"A song is not a gift," Trina dismissed.

"It is **too**!" I snapped, my hands clenching.

"Can I wear a song? No. Can I eat a song? No. Can I flaunt a song and make anyone jealous? No, you failed," she concluded. I raised my hands and let them fall, done with everything. I dug in the front of my dress to get the flash drive I kept there.

"Here! I'm **so **sorry this is all I got you," I retorted, slapping it into her hand. She looked down at it before looking at me.

"What is this?" she asked, raising it up.

"A flash drive with the song on it," I replied.

"How many gigs?" she questioned next.

"I don't know, eight!" I told her, raising my hands again.

"Kinda smaaalll," she responded, glancing from the device she held between her index and thumb then at me. I shook my head at her. I couldn't understand how she could be so insensitive. At that point I just walked away. Everyone packed up and went home. Andre offered to stick around and talk about it but I just wanted to move on. He understood and left. I, on the other hand, went right to my room. I was going to go straight to bed and just try to forget about everything for a few hours.

* * *

Still MAD at Trina.

U reading this Trina?

Hope so!

Mood = IRKED

* * *

Going to school I gave Trina the cold shoulder. I ignored her studiously and jumped out of the car as soon as it parked. I spent the day keeping to myself, not wanting to treat anyone badly just because I was in a bad mood. Everyone seemed to understand, or maybe Andre just filled them in, because I was left alone up until I was switching my books out at my locker between classes when Jade came striding up to me with a Skybucks coffee in hand. Oh great, what now?

"Hey, Vega," she called to me. I ignored her but she tried again.

"Tori," she amended tersely. I sighed. Good enough. I turned to face her after opening my locker.

"What?" I responded. She held out the cup of coffee.

"Try this coffee and tell me what it taste like?" she asked me. I briefly wondered what she was up to but couldn't think of anything so I took it from her and tried it. I cleared my throat and analyzed the flavor to the best of my ability while she busied herself with getting a strip of gum out of her bag.

"Hazelnut?" I guessed.

"I don't know, I found it in the garbage," she replied with an offhand shrug while unwrapping her gum. I made a face and then tried to spit out the little that was in my mouth. She just popped her gum in her mouth so that she reeled it in with her tongue and lips, just enjoying my suffering I bet. If I wasn't so disgusted about the trick she pulled I knew I would have been distracted by the way she ate her gum.

"Gimme one!" I demanded. She looked like she was going to decline but then shrugged again and dug in her bag for another which she slapped in my hand. I quickly opened it to find that the gum was missing. She had given me the wrapper, arranged so that it looked like it held gum but was really empty. I glared at her and she smirked. I was about to demand a real one when Trina walked up.

"Hey Tori. Hey Tori's friend," she greeted, looking from me to Jade.

"Yeah, I'm not really her friend," Jade denied, walking off right after. We watched her go before Trina turned to me and I went back to switching out my books.

"So, listen-" she started. I talked over her, shaking my head.

"I'm not buying you a present," I told her.

"Ya already did," she said, voice rising with excitement as she walked around to my other side.

"This hat!" she revealed while pointing to it with both her index fingers. I glanced at the black sparkled accessory on her head.

"I didn't buy you that hat," I replied, returning to my books then packing up after shutting my locker. I walked away but Trina just followed.

"Did too. Well, maybe indirectly. See I sold the song and used the money to buy the hat. I know most girls can't pull off the whole hat look but my head has the perfect shape so-" she rambled. I ignored her for the most part, not caring one way or another how she looked in a hat, but then a certain piece of information became apparent to me. I spun around to stare at her.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, what do you mean you sold the song I gave you?" I demanded, completely offended that she would do such a thing.

"Uh, well, you know my friend Molly?" she started to explain.

"Little feet, big thighs?" I replied, waiting for her to get to the point.

"Mhm. Her uncle is one of the main dudes at Demolition Records. I played the song for him and he like, freaked over it," Trina explained. Now I really couldn't believe it. I fixed her with a serious expression.

"The song I sang for your birthday?" I double checked.

"Yeah! He gave me five hundred bucks for the rights **and** get this, he wants me to record it professionally," she squeaked, a big smile in place.

"You? You're gonna sing it?" I asked her, skeptical. She just nodded.

"Course, he thinks it could be a hit! I turned your terrible present into a new hat and a great opportunity!" she celebrated, pointing at her hat before walking around me to leave. I couldn't just let her walk away so I grabbed her by the back of her shirt and she stopped to turn around.

"But, but, but does he know that I was the one singing the song and not you?" I questioned her. Her eyes narrowed in thought.

"You know, that did not come up," she answered with a point of her finger. I rolled my eyes and tilted my head back with a tired sigh before reminding myself to keep it together.

"Trina! How could you just do that?! You can't-" I began to yell but the bell cut me off as well as Trina.

"Gotta scamper!" she announced, walking away again. It was then I knew I had to get back at her. It was petty but I was furious.

"Hey, are you gonna finish you coffee?" she stopped to ask me.

"No, Jade found this in the…" I began to say but stopped myself. Jade, Jade and her mean tricks. Well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. I smiled and glanced from the cup to Trina.

"You can have it," I told her, holding it out for her to take. She smiled and accepted it. She blew me a kiss then shuffled away on her high heels, sipping at the coffee.

"That's right. Drink the garbage coffee," I seethed to myself with crossed arms. When she was out of sight I turned and walked to my own class.

**~Jade~**

Seemed like the talentless Vega and the youngest Vega are at odds. Interesting, yet at the same time entertaining to witness. More entertaining than watching Robbie's grandmother make fun of him in the middle of class. But what was even more interesting was Tori passing off that garbage coffee to Trina. What a trickster and not so goody two-shoes as I thought. I heard their conversation from my spot leaning against the other side of the wall beyond the corner so that I remained out of sight. It seemed Tori had a temper I could admire. Just then she came around the corner and saw me. I smirked back and pushed off the wall to walk with her. We had the same class anyway.

"What do you want?" she spat. I raised a brow.

"I'm not the one you should be snapping at Vega. It looks to me that Trina is giving you a hard time," I replied calmly. Tori instantly looked suspicious.

"What do you care?" she grumbled, yet I heard the catch in her agitated tone which I was quick to exploit.

"Oh, I don't. I just think that, if you were to lack that patience of a saint you possess you might want to get back at Trina," I mentioned.

"I already did," she mumbled, uninterested.

"That old trick? You need to do better," I insisted. Maybe I could pit them against each other? I wasn't trying to make her feel better or anything. That was stupid. Tori seemed to think so too because she stared at me like she was trying to solve a puzzle.

"What are you playing at?" she asked, stopping to narrow her eyes suspiciously at me, her hands on her hips. I crossed my arms and cocked my hip.

"You wanna know? Meet me at the Black Box Theater at lunch," I bargained. She hesitated, eyes shifting away, but then she nodded.

"Good. See you then," I told her, striding away ahead of her. She jumped back into motion and entered our shared classroom a moment before me. Vega kept shooting me calculating looks all through class but I ignored her. When it was over we parted ways and didn't see each other until lunch. Like I said, I waited for her at the Black Box Theater, picking at my lunch until I set it aside. She came in relatively early, interest in her brown eyes and her own lunch in hand. She spotted me and walked over, setting her bag down next to mine.

"Ok, what's going on?" she questioned me.

"Eat while I go first," I answered, giving no other information. She carefully sat down in the chair I vacated and opened her food while I walked over to the small table against one side of the wall. I dug in the basket that was set on top and pulled out a few darts. I stepped up, eyes on the picture of Trina's face taped to one of the wooden posts.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Tori interrupted.

"Quiet Vega, I'm concentrating," I reprimanded her. Surprisingly, she shut up. I held the dart in my hand, pausing to focus on Trina's forehead, then let it fly. It hit its mark dead center. I pumped my fist and glanced at her, smug. Her eyebrows rose with what I figured was an impressed expression.

"I guess I finally know why that post has so many holes in it," she commented, setting her unfinished food aside to stand.

"I tend to hang up all manner of annoyances on that post. Keeps me from chucking a dart at the actual person," I confessed.

"Well, at least you let your anger issues out on non-living things. That's all anyone can ask for, really," she remarked with a shrug, stopping to stand next to me. I held out a dart and she took it.

"Why did you invite me here? It's clearly your…thing," she prompted. I fiddled with the dart in my hand, searching for an excuse, or a distraction at least.

"Are you trying to get out of throwing the damn dart?" I answered with my own question. She glanced down at it and smiled.

"Ok, fine, no prying answers from the mysterious Jade West," she teased. I looked over at her with a quirked brow and tossed my dart without even looking. It was to show off a bit, fine, but had it not shot through the air to hit Trina right in the eye, I might have equally looked like an idiot. Tori looked from the dart then to me with wide eyes.

"Now take your turn or the next one will be thrown at you," I threatened. She rushed to comply, taking aim like the dork she was, biting at her tongue to concentrate. She took forever to aim, and then when she finally did, she missed the picture completely. I snickered and she glared at me.

"That was the first time I ever threw a dart! Give me a break!" she shouted. I shook my head and passed her another. This time I directed her on how to hold it and then how to take the correct stance. She moved easily but hesitantly under my hands, like clay that wasn't really malleable until it was warmed up a little. I stood behind her and tapped at her hand which was in the position to throw.

"Ok, you're gonna wanna point the tip up when you throw," I instructed, tilting her hand so that it was doing as I advised.

"Don't grip it too tight but obviously not too light either or you'll lose it. Just enough to make it through acceleration. If you hold it too tight it'll mess up the release," I told her next, tapping at her fingers which she adjusted until she was comfortable. She looked so concentrated, her brows pulling down over her nose which scrunched a little. Cute, but distracting. I looked away.

"Now, you wanna use at least three fingers because two doesn't give enough control while all five might mess it up once you throw it. These barrels are short so it's better if you use three. Whatever fingers you don't use hold them away. Don't curl them into your palm like a fist because it'll strain your finger muscles which will hurt the chances of a good throw," I explained, watching as she corrected herself.

"After that, it's all you," I told her. She glanced at me, and it was then I realized how close we were. I stepped back and gestured to the target. Vega shifted a little, took aim, and then threw it. This time she hit Trina right on the nose. She cheered and jumped.

"There, see, you aren't horrible after all," I commented.

"You're a good teacher. How do you know so much about dart throwing?" she questioned, unaffected by my jab.

"Played a lot when I had the time. The more I played the better I became," I answered, throwing my last one. I pegged one of Trina's teeth.

"Thanks for showing me," she said, her voice soft. I looked over at her to see she was smiling uncertainly. I scoffed and dismissed it with a wave of my hand before sauntering over and getting more darts. I passed some to her when I walked back, our hands brushing.

"So have you thought of how you'll get back at that talentless menace?" I mentioned. She looked like she wanted to defend her sister but then let it go.

"Nah, I don't think picking a fight with her is necessary. I'm pretty mad at her, but I think I'll be fine if I can manage to knock out one of her teeth," Vega replied, throwing another dart but hitting Trina's cheekbone. I knew she meant with a dart but I had to see if she was open to actually knocking Trina senseless.

"I could teach you how to punch," I suggested as I threw my dart. It hit Trina's eyebrow.

"Somehow I believe you know how to punch just as well as you know how to throw darts, the mechanics of it and everything," she replied. I smirked.

"But no, that's not what I meant. I just want to hit that fake Trina's tooth with this dart," she elaborated. Of course she did.

"You're no fun Vega. Fine, by the time the bell rings we'll make sure you do," I said, glancing at her. I looked away when I saw her smile. It turned out she was able to hit two teeth by the time lunch was over. I gathered the darts and the picture of Trina then shoved it all in my bag. Tori tried to thank me again but I just waved her away. As soon as we stepped out of the Black Box Theater I walked away, my walls up once more. Vega didn't say anything. We just carried on with our day. Even when we met up with the gang after school and they asked where we were at lunch we each had a lie ready, for various reasons I'm sure. I left school and headed home hoping Vega didn't get it in her head that we were friends now. It was just a mutual agreement to hate Trina, or well, in Vega's case, dislike her for a day. Whatever.

**~Tori~**

As if spending lunch with Jade, who could have been trying to cheer me up; I'm still not sure, wasn't unexpected enough, Trina came home to tell me that the record company she talked about wanted me to sing the song for them. Apparently they didn't appreciate Trina's singing and got it out of her that she wasn't the singer. That was obvious. I wanted to stay mad at Trina and refuse to give her what she wanted, but at the same time, how could I turn down a record company? Plus, that impromptu dart lesson with Jade really did help. So, I went with Trina to record the song and Andre tagged along. It was going so well too. That is, until they got a call saying that Beyonce wanted the song. That was when we got the boot. Ouch. On top of that we were ditched in the studio. They even turned the lights off on us. Well, seeing Trina put out that she couldn't meet Beyonce was the only positive thing to come out of all this. That, and the weird time spent with Jade. I still can't believe that happened. The one time I brought it up to her she claimed it was all a dream I had and that it never happened. Then she teased me that I dreamt about her until I was blushing so much I had to walk away. She was irritating, but I wouldn't stop trying to be her friend. Somewhere in her bitter soul she wasn't as bad as she seemed. I just had to stick around to find out.


	5. Jade Dumps Beck

**~Tori~**

For the few rare times I spent with Jade I felt I had a good enough handle of noticing when she was upset by something. There were many things that upset Jade though so I didn't know what it could be this time. What I did know was that it had to do with Beck because she treated him worse than normal and ignored anything he had to say. Also, I think she might have thrown something at him because he mentioned something about hurting him before she stomped off. Anyway, their problems were theirs to figure out. I carried on with my day with classes being particularly boring today so I skimmed through some articles on my phone until I saw something amazing. I couldn't wait for lunch time. As soon as the bell rang I ran for the Asphalt Café, intent on catching up to Beck. I was excited for him. I found him sitting at our usual table with Andre.

"Hey guys!" I greeted cheerfully, running over to sit down and then proceed to shove my phone in Beck's face.

"Dude, look what's on the BuzzFinger home page," I told him, waiting with a smile. He pulled back a little before studying it.

"Oh, poor Jay Leno," he replied. I made a face, confused, before looking at the phone to make sure it was still on the right page. It was. He just read the wrong article.

"No, under that!" I corrected him, sliding my finger across the screen so that it was better centered. I showed it to him again.

"Oh," he said with a smile, picking up his coffee like it didn't even matter.

"'Oh', that's you and Alyssa Vaughn, **together**," I pointed out.

"No way!" Andre exclaimed, reaching for my phone. I passed it to him.

"That's Beck and Alyssa Vaughn! **Together**!" he repeated, eyes wide. I nodded.

"Why are you guys so impressed?" Beck questioned. I looked at him like it was a stupid question.

"Because Alyssa Vaughn is famous!" I stated.

"And hot!" Andre quipped, still staring at my phone.

"Her father's a billionaire," I said next.

"And hot!" Andre repeated. We both looked at him questionably. His smile fell.

"I didn't mean her father…I drank fish pee," he tried to explain then blamed his water. I sighed and took back my phone then looked at Beck.

"Explain this," I requested, shaking my phone at him once more.

"She's in my yoga class. Some paparazzi showed up and took that pic, but, we're just friends," he answered, waving it away then taking another drink of his coffee. He was so casual about it. Maybe that was what got Jade angry? I wondered what she thought of all this. I wasn't going to risk my life by asking her so I might as well bring it up with Beck.

"Uh huh, and how did Jade react when she found out you were _friends _with Alyssa Vaughn?" I asked him, knowing the answer already. Andre made air quotes with his fingers next to me. She couldn't have been too happy. I just wanted to hear it from him though.

"Jade was cool with it," Beck replied nonchalantly. I found that hard to believe so I stared at him until he came clean.

"She threw a rock at me," he confessed. Ha! I knew it!

"Yeah, well I'd be careful, because I don't think Jade's the type to be 'ok' with…" I began but my words died when a megaphone screeched to life and bright orange flyers raining from the sky. What was going on?

"Attention! Attention everyone!" Trina's nasally voice echoed through the air. Oh boy, what is she doing now? She yelled at someone and then began her announcement which was something about a one woman play she was doing. I took a look at one of the flyers that fell on our table. Huh, a play starring her that she wrote herself. Yep, that's my sister. As she yapped she knocked over a box of flyers from the rail and it hit an unsuspecting bystander who fell over. I let out an embarrassed sigh and shook my head. And of course, Trina asked the poor guy to pass the assaulting flyers out for her.

**~Jade~**

I can't believe he's pulling this! We agreed on this little arrangement of ours and just because it isn't as solid as it seems that doesn't mean he could go around disregarding it! He's supposed to be mine dammit! What the heck is he doing going around with Alyssa Vaughn of all people? The paparazzi took their picture and are making them out to be some item. Well, news flash, they aren't! To top it off, he's acting like it's no big deal. Even after I chucked a rock at him he doesn't seem to get how upset at this I am. I found him in the hall between classes and made sure to tail him. He saw me and continued to walk away but it wouldn't be that easy.

"Hey, we are not done talking about this," I told him as we took the stairs down to the lockers.

"I am," he replied.

"Well I'm not," I retorted. He stopped to turn to me when we reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Listen, Alyssa Vaughn is just a friend," he enunciated slowly. I understood just fine but I didn't think he did.

"Yeah, a friend who's sent you six text messages today," I said pointedly. Almost like the universe wanted to rub it in my face, his phone chimed with another.

"Seven," I grit out from my clenched teeth.

"You don't know that's her," he denied.

"Is it?" I ground out next, waiting. He reached in his pocket and pulled out his phone to check. He froze, stared at the screen, and then locked it before looking at me.

"What's your favorite tropical fruit?" he asked, a distraction from the fact that it was her no doubt.

"The mango, and I don't like your little relationship with Alyssa Vaughn," I reminded him once again. He raised his phone.

"It's a text message," he told me like it didn't make a difference. He walked away to go to his locker. I wasn't letting this go.

"And what does it say?" I asked, throwing up my hands. He just kept walking, ignoring me.

"Maybe, 'Hi Beck! My daddy just got richer and I got prettier! Let's make out!'" I mocked in her high voice as I walked over to him.

"Ok, let me see if I understand you," he finally responded, turning around to narrow his eyes at me.

"Let's see if you do," I shot back.

"Because you and I date…" he began, emphasis on the word 'date' in a way we both understood.

"…I can't be friends with other girls?" he finished. How could he stand here asking me this? If we were in a relationship, no matter what terms were included, did not mean he could write it off as anything less. A relationship with me was a relationship that only included me. It's bad enough Vega is around, but I don't think she's that stupid to try anything with Beck anyway. Ew, I called her not stupid. That could be construed as a compliment. Anyway, he knew this, so what the heck was he doing?

"You can be friends with ugly girls," I told him. Really, that was the only non-threatening choice for him. He shook his head at me, not understanding probably, so I continued.

"But not gorgeous socialites who text message you a hundred times a day!" I yelled.

"You know-you-Tori! Tori, could you come here?" he called to Vega who was just walking down the stairs. Oh great, now she was involved. It couldn't get any worse, could it? She didn't look too thrilled either.

"What?" she questioned, already wary but moving to walk over to us. I didn't want Vega here. It was none of her business. Beck clapped his hands together before speaking.

"If you were my girlfriend…" he began. I scoffed.

"Great way to start the question," I commented scathingly. Tori rolled her eyes and glanced at me before returning her attention to him. Beck raised a hand to silence me.

"…would you be all freaked out that I'm just friends with Alyssa Vaughn?" he finished. Oh God Vega, just ignore him and leave.

"Who cares what **she** thinks," I spoke up. Tori stood there, pensive.

"Honestly, I wouldn't love it," she answered. I didn't think I would ever actually agree with Vega.

"**I** care what she thinks," I stated, changing my mind. Maybe she could be helpful after all. I walked over to sling an arm around her and felt her tense, glancing at me but not moving away. It may just be the first time we were so close besides the time I taught her about the darts. But that didn't count. That wasn't out in the open like it was now.

"How can you say that? You don't even-" he tried to argue but Tori waved him away.

"You know, I really don't want to be in the middle of this," she disagreed, turning away, but I grabbed her by her arm and pulled her back.

"No, you stay right here," I told her. Wow, either she was weak or she didn't want to leave as bad she made it look like she did. She complained a little but that was all.

"You don't think a girlfriend should just trust her boyfriend?" Beck asked her. With a popular status like Beck's, no, I didn't trust him. But really I couldn't blame him. Yet, he should still try to act the right way, as we had agreed. I knew he liked the girl to a certain degree because he kept dropping hints that I should try harder to get along with Vega, but what he didn't get was that I wasn't ready. He knew what he was doing. He should have thought it through instead of go back on his word now. What did he think was going to happen anyway? Did he think I would tell her, she'd suddenly like me, and then we would run off into the sunset? Yeah right. No, he agreed to help me and that's where he would stay.

"No, I-I do," she replied. I grit my teeth then glared at her. Never mind, she wasn't helping.

"Get out of here Tori," I growled.

"I'd love to," she agreed, turning away again. I didn't stop her this time.

"Stay," Beck commanded. Tori groaned but spun in place to come back. Why is it that all he had to do was command her and she listened while I had to physically drag her back? Everyone positively **loved **Beck, didn't they? Well I didn't, and I was tired of him.

"Alright, you know what?" I directed at him. Let's see what he thinks of this.

"Tell me what," he challenged. I could see just by the way he stood and the way he stared at me that he didn't give a chiz. If that's what he wanted, fine. I didn't need him.

"No, no, don't tell him what," Vega warned, her warm hand pressing at my arm. It took a little more willpower to keep a straight face, but I did, my eyes pinning Beck down with irritation. I wasn't going to back down.

"We're done," I stated, putting my foot down. Tori looked shocked.

"Jade," she said, looking from me to Beck and then back again.

"So you're breaking up with me?" Beck responded, unaffected. It wazzed me off. Of course he wouldn't care. Maybe he really was done playing this act out. But I thought he cared, that he wanted to help. I guess I was wrong.

"No, no, no, no, no she's not," Tori tried to intervene. It was too late. I made my choice.

"Yeah, I am," I said with a nod. I was done. I strode past him, not even looking back.

"Aw, she is," Tori whined behind me.

"You're being ridiculous," Beck called to me down the hall. I was already at the very end, preparing to turn the corner.

"What do you care? I'm not your girlfriend anymore," I shot back, taking the corner and blocking them both from my sight. Stupid Beck. Stupid Vega. If she hadn't been around I would be completely fine. But she was here and I didn't have Beck anymore. I was all on my own. It felt weird, like I was exposed. Beck was like my shield against the things I disliked, the things I didn't want to face. Either it was a sign I should start facing those things, or maybe I should just embrace them. Ugh, this was just so stupid. At that moment Trina stopped me to wave a flyer in my face. I didn't even hear what she had to say. I just snatched it from her, grabbed her by the front of her shirt, and shoved it down her shirt. I then walked away, feeling a little better but still angry. She even had the gall to keep talking to me as I walked away. Damn annoying Vegas, I swear.

**~Tori~**

I listened as Trina advertised her play, scampering from one person to the next while Beck stood next to me. It was kind of awkward. I chanced a glance at him to see that he looked to be thinking about something, his hands in his pockets. I cleared my throat then walked away, hoping he wouldn't have anything to say. He didn't. Did Jade dumping him affect him at all? Or was he glad she called it quits? I didn't know what to think. I mean, Beck's a good guy and Jade could be pretty mean but even I could see that she needed support. All Beck did was make her insecure with his unintended, or maybe intended, way of getting so many girls' attention. Jade should trust him though, shouldn't she? Oh, I don't know! They were both my friends. Yes, Jade was my friend. I considered her my friend no matter what she thought. I didn't want to take any sides. I just hoped they figured it out, and soon.

* * *

Errgg! Nothing worse than

being sucked into a fight

between a BF and GF - hate it.

Mood = Yuck

* * *

The next day I had hoped something was worked out between Beck and Jade, but the moment I saw her sitting alone at our usual table, violently stabbing at her salad, I knew they were still at odds. Maybe I could help? After all, she helped make me feel better before. I could return the favor. Wait, would she even accept help? Aw, why did I care so much? Gosh, she looked so sad. I turned to look at Andre and gestured to Jade as subtly as I could that we needed to be there for her. He shook his head and tried to make a run for it but I snagged him to yank him back. He tried to tell me no but I ignored him, walking away and heading for our table. I put on a smile when I approached.

"Hey!" I greeted Jade. She just looked up from her salad to stare at us. Boy was her eyes unnerving.

"Hey Jade," Andre mumbled half-heartedly.

"You look a little like a lady who could use some lunch buddies," I continued while I took a seat. Jade just let out a scoff and went back to stabbing her salad.

"Please," she bit out sarcastically.

"Well, I just thought that you were mad because of-" I started to explain when she brought her sharp gaze back up to lock on me.

"**I** broke up with Beck, ok? **I** dumped **him**," she emphasized. I decided to drop it with a glance exchanged with Andre. We both silently began to eat. A horn honked though, making all three of us look towards the sound. Everyone around us looked too. A nice looking yellow car came zooming into the parking lot.

"Whoa!" Andre shouted next to me, impressed. I wondered if it was for the car, Alyssa Vaughn, or both. Wait…

"Is that Alyssa Vaughn?" I gasped, unable to stop my thoughts from spilling into words. Oh no, and Beck was with her. This wasn't good. Jade did not look happy.

"Yeah? So?" she snapped, something in her eyes telling me to shut up. I wanted to be a supportive friend for her so I hastily backtracked.

"Nothing. Pfft, she's gross," I commented, going back to my food.

"French fry?" I offered, picking up one to hold out to her. She just ignored it in favor of her own food.

"Gross? Look at her!" Andre decided to say. I popped the French fry into my mouth then shot him a look but he kept going, gesturing to her like she was the best thing ever.

"Oh, that girl is smoking hot! I'm serious!" he praised. Jade was glaring at him now but I could see the slight hint of worry in her eyes. Andre could at least sense that it wasn't wise to keep going.

"I should shut up," he agreed, stuffing his face. I scratched at my head and sighed.

"Look, he didn't mean to say-" I tried to apologize for him. Jade didn't want to hear it though.

"I don't care. If Beck wants to date **that** I hope he has tons of fun with it," she growled, her slender fingers slowly closing on her burrito. The poor thing was losing its insides with her simmering wrath.

"Uh," I tried to tell her.

"What?" she demanded.

"You're hurting your burrito," I pointed out, glancing at it. She did too, realizing her grip, and then threw it down. It hit the tray hard, splattering both me and Andre with the sauce. Jade got up to leave.

"O-ok…" Andre murmured, not expecting that outcome. I really didn't either but I should have. I looked up in time to see Jade quickly walk away, her head held high even if she was feeling down. I had to help her…somehow. I couldn't even finish my food now with sauce all over me so I spent the last minutes of lunch cleaning off. I only saw Jade once before going home. She was angrily going through her locker before stomping towards the door. She looked up and caught me staring. I expected her to glare but I was surprised to see her expression soften. We stood there a little longer and then she barged through the doors and disappeared outside. Trina hurried me out the door and we went home. I finished my homework then accepted a match of tennis from Trina. She was intent on beating our next opponent. She was so intent that she rushed to get the ball and ended up clocking me upside the head. I fell forward with a groan.

"Tori, you messed up my shot," she accused.

"I don't want to play anymore," I told her, frowning at the stinging pain from the back of my head. I pushed myself up with a hand on my head to hear the doorbell chime. I looked at Trina.

"Ugh, you get it," she ordered before leaving me standing there. I frowned but I had no choice but to walk over and open the door.

"Jade?" I questioned when I saw her standing there holding a kite. She was silent and barely acknowledged me. She just brushed past me and headed straight inside.

"And now you're in my house," I commented. I shut the door and turned to her. She stopped to stand in the middle of the living room, her posture stiff and her face fighting to remain calm. What was she doing here?

**~Jade~**

What was I doing here? That's right, Vega was the only reliable choice. I couldn't tell her that though. I was feeling so conflicted. I didn't want to like this annoying chick. I really didn't. I wanted everything to go back to the way it was. I wanted Beck back to make that happen. The thing was, I didn't know how to do it. No one could help me either, except, maybe Vega. I really didn't want to be here. I should just leave, but she looked so confused and concerned. I wasn't going to get anyone to listen but her so I might as well give it a shot and see if she could be of any help. But I couldn't ask her directly which is why I had the genius idea to snag this kite I found broken. Now hopefully she was as smart as I gave her credit for. It was my only hope left but kind of ironic that the person driving me back to Beck was the one I was using him to get away from. But I couldn't think of that now. Vega was looking at me with rising concern. I had to say something. Well, here it goes. The tears were bound to fall anyway so I might as well let them with her.

**~Tori~**

I ran a hand through my hair and took a few steps toward Jade. I was getting kind of worried. The longer she stood there the more I could tell that she was fighting tears. I had never seen Jade cry before but it looked like she would any second now. It made her look so vulnerable.

"This kite is broken," she announced, her voice wavering. There was another first. Her voice was always strong and unyielding, confident. Right now she was fighting to keep it steady. But what did she mean about the kite?

"Ok, and?" I prompted, my hands on my hips.

"I was just walking around and I saw this kite stuck in a bush and-and it's broken and someone needs to fix it!" she rambled, shaking the broken kite and switching from foot to foot.

"You want me to fix your kite?" I guessed, speaking slowly with uncertainty.

"Will you forget about the stupid kite?!" she yelled at me, throwing it to the floor then kicking it away. Well, so much for that. Although I felt like I was missing something.

"I'm sorry I brought it up?" I responded, raising my hands to let them fall back down to hit my legs. What did she want?

"I want Beck back!" she finally confessed, tears beginning to fall as she covered her face with her hand. Oh, that's what was going on.

"But you broke up with Beck," I told her.

"I know! Just like when I was seven and I threw away my Potato Patch doll but then realized I wanted it back but it was too late because my mother already gave it away to some greedy orphans!" she ranted, pacing back and forth before sitting down on one of the couches to cry. Well, that was unexpected…and strange.

"Jade, if you wanna get back together with Beck then why don't you just tell him?" I questioned her.

"I did but he rejected me!" she sobbed, smacking her leg in irritation then going back to burying her face in her hand. This really wasn't my place, but I had to help her now that she was basically asking for it so I advanced with hesitance. First, I needed to know why.

"Um, not to be mean but why are you coming to me for help?" I asked her.

"Because I don't want anyone who's cool to see me like this!" she replied like it was obvious. Of course.

"Ok, maybe you should-wait, are we friends? We're not even friends," I stated, stopping midway through my sentence. I didn't want to say it but Jade didn't see us as friends and it would be nice if she at least told me we were allies or something.

"Well, yeah, but if you help me maybe I'll like you," she pointed out, uncovering her face to look at me. That was a good point. It was good enough.

"So, if I help you, do I get a mean friend and a broken kite?" I asked her, moving to sit on the opposite end of the couch than her. Her clear eyes followed me, her mascara beginning to run.

"Please, just please talk to Beck for me!" she begged. That was very knew. I didn't even think Jade was capable of begging. She must really want Beck back. She grabbed at a nearby pillow and buried her face in it to cry some more. I sighed, slightly uncomfortable with how to comfort her. She really didn't like to be touched, but I shifted and lightly patted her head.

"Ok. Ok, ok! I'll talk to Beck!" I decided, hoping she would stop crying. It was somewhat unsettling to see someone like Jade so torn up.

"Do it soon," she whined from her place hidden in the pillow so that her voice was muffled. A moment later she raised her head with a sigh and tucked back her hair. She sniffled then presented the pillow to me.

"I got a little make-up on your pillow," she muttered, her voice scratchy with crying. I wanted to be mad at her but I couldn't. I just didn't have it in me.

"It's ok. I'll just…ask my grandmother to make me another one…" I told her, taking the pillow to set it in my lap. I stared at the stains with sadness. Jade just nodded next to me.

"…if she ever comes back to life," I concluded. Jade looked like she was sorry the way her eyes widened and her lips pulled into a sadder frown than was already present. I didn't need an apology from her. I could see it already in the way she looked at me then briefly touched my shoulder. I sighed and set the pillow aside, hoping most of it would come off.

"So until then I guess I'll try to clean it myself," I said, standing up. Jade stood up too, looking like she wanted to say something. I waited but she only shook her head then strode to the door. She glanced back at me once before leaving. I groaned loudly with my head back.

* * *

On a mission…but

how did I get to be the

LOVE DOCTOR?!

Mood = Hopeful

* * *

As I told Jade I would do I paid Beck a visit that night to talk to him. I found his house pretty easily and his kind mother showed me to his RV. I thought he was messing with me when a woman's voice answered so I called him out on it only to see that it really wasn't him but his maid. He has a maid? What the chiz? He thanked her and she was on her way. He then invited me in. I wanted to say it went well but he didn't seem convinced. The things he told me about Jade made me rethink defending her, although all I could come up with was that she was awesome, but I still tried. He said he couldn't remember the last time she did one nice thing for him. I mean, who gives someone a can of lemonade for their birthday? Seriously? I could see why Beck wasn't jumping to get her back. I tried a little more but he wasn't budging so I left defeated. I would just have to tell Jade what happened tomorrow. I didn't even have to go look for her. She found me at my locker during break and asked me how the talk went. I didn't sugarcoat it. I told her everything and just how unhappy he sounded.

"'Cause he likes lemonade," she insisted with a gesture of her hand as she leaned on the wall of lockers. I scolded her with a frown.

"Yeah, but out of a can?" I replied.

"He drank it," she remarked. Like that made a difference.

"Yeah, but-" I tried to retort but she silenced me.

"Do I have a boyfriend or don't I?" she demanded, agitated. At that moment Sinjin came around the corner. The creep that he was he probably heard everything.

"I thought you were secretly gay for-" he started to say but Jade shot him a deathly glare.

"Walk away," she seethed. He bowed his head and was quick to scurry off.

"Wait...what did he say?" I asked, confused. I wasn't sure if I heard what I thought I did.

"Nothing. He said nothing," she growled.

"But I heard the words secretly g-" I tried again but she stomped her foot.

"He said nothing!" she yelled, crossing her arms. Her dangerously threatening gaze was now on me full force so I quickly dropped it. Questioning her further was not worth meeting the business end of her scissors.

"Well fine, what do you want me to do?" I inquired, slamming my locker shut with frustration. She was getting frustrated too. I walked around her to get a Wahoo Punch and she turned to follow.

"Help me!" she pleaded.

"I tried! Maybe you just need to forget about Beck?" I advised, holding out my arms before letting them drop. What else could I do? He didn't want her back. Jade stood there at a loss for words, broken sounds falling from her mouth. She rushed to grab me by the wrist then ran for the janitor's closet where she tossed me in then shut the door behind us.

"And now we're in a closet," I muttered. Jade flipped on the lights and leaned against the door.

"How can Beck not want me back?" she began to cry, walking over to stand in front of me.

"I'm so cool, and hot! I've got it all!" she shouted, dismayed, before leaning on a tool box to hide her face once again. Well, she was all those things, but she was also mean, uncaring, and rude. Those tend to put a damper on things.

"Yeah, but guys don't just care about how cool and hot you are," I told her.

"Well what else is there?" she responded. I stared at her, wondering how she thought that.

"Beck said you haven't done one nice thing for him in two years," I reminded her.

"That is so not true! We've only dated a year and eleven months!" she corrected. Ok, so she wasn't denying it but also didn't own up to it. Figures.

"Well maybe he'd take you back if you did something nice for him?" I suggested.

"You mean, like make him **fresh** lemonade?" she wondered. Why do I even bother? Jade did have it all but she lacked a certain, sentimental touch. A sincere one too.

"If you want Beck back you're gonna have to think bigger than beverages," I advised.

"A dog!" she suddenly shouted, pointing at me. Hey! I pushed her hand away, offended. It reminded me too much of my first day here. I was trying to forget that. It really wasn't helping her that she was bringing that up either.

"If you're going to be rude…" I started to say while turning away but she stopped me.

"No! No! Beck's always saying how he wants a dog, uh, a rottenheimer!" she exclaimed, gesturing with her hand until she could find the right word. At least she was on to something and her tears had stopped.

"A Rottweiler?" I corrected, my brows rising questionably.

"Yes! That's what he wants. Ok, what's our next move?" she asked, her normally firm tone returning with her confidence. Maybe she did want Beck back. She was trying so I would be glad to help.

"Just get the boy a dog!" a new voice yelled. We glanced to the corner to see the janitor curled up in the corner with a blanket. We both agreed on getting the chiz out of there as fast as we could. It was weird enough that Jade was even coming to me for help in the first place. We made plans to meet up after school. Jade said she would get the dog and then pick me up to help her take it to Beck's house later that night. I agreed and went home. I couldn't really concentrate on work though. Helping Jade get Beck back was a mess of emotions. Yeah, I wanted to see them happy and together again, but if this is how bad their relationship is then why get back together in the first place? No, I couldn't think like that. If they…love, each other then, that should be enough, right? I hoped so. I hoped this all worked out so that I wouldn't have to be stuck between these two. Jade picked me up right on time, the dog laying down in the back seat. I greeted him and rubbed his head while Jade just looked at me out of the corner of her eyes yet said nothing. We drove to Beck's house and then got out. Jade wanted it to be a surprise so we snuck through the yard silently. I held the leash in my hand and followed closely behind Jade. The dog barked and we both jumped them shushed him. Jade moved to the door of the RV and set her hand on the handle, popping the door open a little.

"Ok. Wait one sec," she whispered, holding out a finger. She then slipped inside before coming back out.

"Beck's asleep. Gimme the dog," she said.

"'Kay, oh wait, he has a runny nose," I answered but stopped when I noticed. I pulled out a tissue from my bag to hold it to his nose. Jade looked on in disbelief.

"Blow," I encouraged.

"Dogs don't know how to blow their nose," she stated, unconvinced. The dog sat down next to me, a paw on my arm, and blew his nose. I smiled smugly up at her. She just rolled her eyes and I put away the tissue.

"Ok, gimme the dog," she repeated. She took the dog by the collar and led him into the RV.

"Ok, go in there. Lick Beck's face. Good boy," Jade coaxed, letting the dog free. It bounded inside, the leash sliding through my hand so quickly it burned. I gasped and dropped it then Jade shut the door. She glanced at me then turned around, leaning a hand on the RV.

"Ok, if this makes Beck like me again I'm gonna owe you big time," she admitted. Wow, Jade owing me.

"You already owe me big time," I teased her. It was amazing to see a smile pull at her lips. It made me smile too. But both of our smiles dropped when screams came from inside the RV.

"What's going on?" I questioned.

"I don't know," she replied, walking off the step to stand next to me and face the RV.

"Whose dog is this?!" a man's voice screamed from inside.

"Are you ok?!" Jade called to him.

"Does he sound ok?!" I snapped at her.

"This is horrible!" she yelled.

"I know!" I agreed.

"Now he's never going to take me back," she whined. I froze at that. Really?

"That is **not** the key issue right now!" I shouted at her.

"What are we gonna do?" she questioned. We were both trying to get a look inside but we couldn't see anything. Meanwhile, the screaming and barks were still carrying on.

"What is going on?" Beck's voice suddenly questioned from behind us. We spun around.

"Beck?!" Jade screamed, shocked.

"How can you be out here?" I asked him.

"You're in there being mauled by a dog!" Jade added, pointing at the RV.

"Dog? My dad's in there!" he responded, running forward.

"Your dad?" Jade repeated.

"Oh my God," I muttered.

"Dad! Dad! Oh my God, that is a big dog!" Beck exclaimed, getting the door open only to slam it shut again when he was snapped at. He tried calling to his dad again but it was no use. Oh man, what did we do? Jade and I exchanged a wide eyed look. Beck rushed to call 911 and help came in the form of animal control and the paramedics. An hour later they had Beck's dad all wrapped up and transported into the paramedic truck. Jade and I stood off to the side of it all, silent.

"I'll meet you at the hospital!" Beck called to his dad before they shut the doors. Jade and I called apologies to him but he just groaned in pain. The paramedic on duty made a pass at Beck, one that made us all uncomfortable, and cause Jade to possessively grip at his arm, before she turned the lady away. That wasn't weird at all. We watched it drive away, Beck's dad waving from the back. Beck shook his head and walked away.

"Tori told me to get you a dog," Jade suddenly burst out.

"Dude!" I retorted, glaring at her. We both agreed on the idea. What the heck? She-never mind. There was no point in throwing a fit. I stood back and let Beck and Jade talk it out. Jade rambled and sort of apologized. Beck just stared at her affectionately and then leaned down to kiss her. Aww, how sweet. Jade turned to look at me and Beck did too. Did I say that out loud?

"I ruined the moment, didn't I?" I mumbled sheepishly. Jade's expression relaxed before she turned to Beck. She whispered something to him, he nodded, and then went into his RV. Jade stayed where she was, her eyes on me.

"Oh come on. I didn't ruin it that bad," I whined, hoping she didn't get back at me in the form of pain. She just offered a small smile and walked over to me.

"It's ok, and, I really do owe you," she said with a shrug. I smiled, hopeful that we were actually getting somewhere as friends. But then she stepped forward and pecked me on the cheek so quickly it might have just been my imagination.

"Uh, yeah. No problem," I stammered, a hand touching where her lips had just been. She walked away but I stopped her before she could enter the RV.

"Hey, um, it's getting kind of late so I was wondering if you could drive me home," I requested.

"It's not that far a walk," she refused with a shake of her head. Of course. I had to try though. She popped open the door but I stopped her again.

"Try not to swallow each other!" I taunted, moving to walk away. I thought I heard her chuckle but I wasn't sure. Just like how I wasn't sure if she really kissed me on the cheek. I think I hallucinated that. I glanced back to see the door closing then looked forward again. Well, I may have to walk home, but at least they're happy.

**~Jade~**

I shut the door of the RV behind me and plopped down next to Beck with a sigh. He took my hand and rubbed his thumb across my palm. Neither of us said anything. We just took in the mess of his RV. I felt really bad for almost essentially coming close to killing his dad but it all ended well I guess.

"Why did you try so hard to get me back? I was giving you an out," he mumbled. I sighed and took back my hand.

"Beck," I groaned, my tone telling him to stop while he was ahead.

"No really. Jade, you can't keep pushing away how you feel and running from this forever. You're so determined to deny it you're too afraid to even drop this illusion. It isn't good for you," he advised.

"You don't deserve it either," I added quietly.

"You know, I don't think I have ever seen anyone as difficult as you," Beck remarked. I frowned and ducked my head but Beck made me look at him.

"But you're my best friend and I'll keep standing there with you, supporting you, until you don't need it anymore. Yeah, it's hard, and yeah, I shouldn't have to, but I want to. I want to see you happy. And until that happens I'm here for you, ok?" he told me sincerely. I smiled and blinked away tears.

"Don't make me cry anymore. I've had enough of that," I grumbled. He laughed and pulled me into a hug that I returned. It was going to be alright. Beck was here and I felt safe again. I didn't know how long I would need him, but he was willing to wait. Whenever the time came to let him go, I hoped he found his own happiness, because he really deserved it for sticking by me for this long.

"Ok, no more of that then. How about we get some coffee and watch some horror movies?" he suggested.

"Now you're talkin'," I told him. He smiled and stood. I went with him. I slipped my hand in his and gave it a squeeze, my silent way of thanking him. He squeezed back. He knew.


	6. Tori The Zombie

**Another update so soon? Yes, because it's been awhile so I might as well get two out before I take too long again.**

* * *

**~Jade~**

Once again we were rehearsing in the Black Box Theater with a few others. It was for the upcoming play starring Robbie, Beck, and Vega. She finally landed the main role. That didn't take too long. I caught sight of her where I stayed seated off to the side. I was lying on the chair more than sitting in it actually. I was pretty sure my expression looked like a mix between bored and angry. Truthfully, I couldn't understand why I hated this rehearsal any more than I could understand casting Robbie as one of the main characters. Beck yes, but not Robbie. I rolled my eyes at the nerd's acting and sighed. When it came to the part of the play where his character says how rich and good looking he is, I scoffed. Vega's meager acknowledgment made me smirk but I was still unhappy. When would the torture end? After that scene, it was Beck's scene with Vega. I watched with a steady gaze, noting his eager acting. He did it just to tick me off.

He knew I liked Vega and did anything he could to try and make me act on it. It wasn't going to be that easy. An overused quote from Vega had me rolling my eyes again. Nauseating. Who came up with this again? Oh yeah, that famous chick I really couldn't care less about. Beck's scripted confession was soft and gentle, his touch comforting. I had to admit Beck could act, but it was this talent I was upset about at the moment. The weird mix of feelings I was dealing with lately left no room for anything but irritation. Vega was sucking up Beck's attention, something else to add to my list of negativities. At that moment, Sinjin hit the switch for disco music and lights, completely killing the mood and upsetting everyone. I was only slightly grateful for it but I wouldn't admit it. Instead, I decided to let my frustration out on the little weirdo.

"What up with the disco?" I yelled at him, getting out of my seat to see him up on the cat walk.

"Sorry, I hit the wrong thing!" he exclaimed.

"No, fifteen years ago your mother gave birth to the wrong thing!" I screamed back, satisfied to vent some of my anger. Someone had to be the victim. Beck couldn't get it all. I plopped back down, no one daring to tell me that what I said was inappropriate.

"Ok, why don't we take a break? Tori, Beck, you guys were great. Really nice stuff," the director praised.

"Thanks," Vega replied, happy she did well no doubt. Beck smiled next to her and I rolled my eyes. Robbie stood up, Rex in tow.

"How was I?" he asked.

"I've seen worse," the director replied, going back to his conversation without a second look at Robbie. I snickered at his disappointed expression. I shook my head and looked down at my phone. I was checking updates when I came across something interesting.

"Guys, guys, shut up a second," I announced, holding out a hand to get everyone's attention.

"What do you got?" Beck asked me, walking over with Vega following. She looked curious to hear what I had to say.

"An email from principal Eichner," I continued, looking down at my phone to prepare to read what it said. However, Vega decided to talk before I was done.

"That says…?" she asked. I shot her a glare and continued, not feeling like starting something.

"To all students involved in our school's production of Uptown Downtown, Sophia Michelle will be in Los Angeles the weekend of the seventeenth and will be personally attending your opening night performance," I stated, reading off my phone. Everyone began muttering in amazement. Vega glanced at Beck who looked down at her. The director's excitement must have been too much because he held his stomach and bailed. Disgusting.

"Who's Sophia Michelle?" Vega spoke up. I groaned for what felt like the millionth time at her cluelessness. Beck held up a hand to place on my shoulder comfortingly but I just grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him away.

"Oh no, no, no," I continued to gripe. I sat down and pulled Beck with me. He gave me a tired but compliant expression. The rest of the class began their mutterings again. Vega looked around in confusion.

"What?" she asked, raising her arms.

"She gets to be the lead and she doesn't even know who Sophia Michelle is," I bemoaned, holding my phone to my head before looking around at everyone. Beck leaned down to pat my shoulder and then rub comfortingly. The motion felt patronizing, like he was trying to calm a child's tantrum but I let him continue, not feeling up to snapping at him on top of Vega's idiocy.

"Wait, is she the lady who does infomercials with the vibrating hairbrush?" Vega questioned, eager to get something right. Sucks, because she was wrong; again. I looked on in amazement at how much she still didn't know. Sinjin spoke how he loved the hairbrush she talked about. Everyone looked up at him strangely but I ignored him. Robbie opted to help Vega out.

"Look at the cover of your script," he told her. She held it up and looked at the cover. Realization dawned.

"Oh, Sophia Michelle wrote the play we're doing!" she said excitedly, late on the upkeep. I felt it was necessary to mock her at that moment, copying the excited sound she made. Vega frowned at me but I went back to tapping away on my phone, not even bothering to look up.

"She's like the biggest playwright on broadway," Robbie informed her, the rest of the class agreeing. At that moment the director came back in. He tried to stress the importance of getting the play right. Rex questioned his choice to cast Robbie and the nerd naturally took offense. What? It was true. The director left after that in a hurry, needing a nerve pill. Sinjin started up the disco once again and he bobbed to it. I turned to look up at him with a scowl.

"Will you kill the disco?" I commanded, not amused by Sinjin's antics. He denied my demand and began dancing while brushing his hair with the previously talked about vibrating hair brush. If he didn't cut it out I was going to scare the chiz out of him. I gave him a severely disgusted expression while everyone else looked on in questionable wonder.

**~Tori~**

After rehearsal was over it was time for lunch. I wandered behind the stage and into the dressing rooms to look for Cat. I asked someone if they had seen her, and when he turned, his gory face scared the wazz out of me. I jumped back a little and he looked at me like I was crazy.

"It's just special effects make-up," he explained easily.

"Well it is special and I have been affected," I agreed. He turned away and I spotted my red haired friend in the very back. I greeted her and Cat went on to explain that we would be able to go to lunch once she finished her project which involved making someone into a scary monster. After seeing that other guy's face, I was hard pressed to see something else horrifying but I asked to see it anyway. Cat turned her victim around, revealing a face that was more adorable than scary. I pointed this out to her. She was distraught when he walked out on her. She tried to call him back but he was gone. I listened to Cat's predicament about losing three models to her make-up skills.

"I'm going to get and 'F', in make-up!" she cried out.

"Awww, that bites. Let's go get an 'A' in lunch!" I responded. I tried to drag Cat out but she refused and I was pulled back. First Jade, now Cat. Is everyone looking to put a damper on my day? Jade is kinda expected though. Cat, not so much.

"Wait!" she exclaimed. I could see an idea forming that I knew I wouldn't like.

"Nooo," I warned her, backing up.

"I just-" Cat tried but I wasn't listening.

"I am not going to be your monster make-up model," I told her. Cat pouted.

"But if I don't transform someone's face into a hideous monster by Monday, I'm going to fail this class," she explained, certain of the outcome.

"And if I don't cram a turkey sandwich down my throat I'm going to fail not starving to death!" I replied, ready to leave. Cat grabbed my arm to make me stop though. She even ran around to block me.

"Come on! We can do it tonight! Tomorrow night! Whenever you want!" she pleaded.

"I'm in a huge play. I have to learn all my lines and five songs-" I fought back.

"Tori!" Cat whined, dragging out my name.

"Cat!" I copied. We fell into a series of back and forth arguments that neither of us probably heard until the conclusion.

"Ok fine, I'll do it!" I yelled, giving up. I really couldn't fight on an empty stomach.

"Yay!" Cat cheered happily.

"But you're buying my lunch," I bargained.

"Awww," Cat whined, her face falling. Too bad. I hooked my arm with hers and towed her out.

"Let's go," I told her. Finally, I was going to get something to eat. I pulled open the door with my free hand and marched down the hall. Cat quietly submitted, knowing she needed to pay me back for accepting her pleas.

* * *

Turkey sandwich =

YAY! Monster makeup = WHY?!

Mood = Anxious

* * *

The rest of the day went by and I was unwilling to go home but still eager at the same time. I was going to have Andre come over and help me learn my songs then Cat was coming over to practice her make-up on me. Soon, I was sitting on my couch with Andre who had his keyboard with him. He played the notes and I began. I'm gonna nail this role.

"Nice, now sing it like an old jazz singer," he challenged.

"Why?" I asked him curiously and a little confused.

"To amuse me," he said, putting up a hand like it was obvious. He started it up again and I tried to do as he asked. We laughed at my attempt and then made plans to get pizza when the doorbell rang. I got up to get it and saw Cat leaning on the doorframe. She wiggled her eyebrows.

"Make-up time," she announced. I frowned. And here was what I was dreading all day. I couldn't let her know that though. I should consider taking a leaf out of Jade's book and put my foot down. Wait, was I really considering anything Jade did?

"Hey Cat," I greeted while she grabbed her kit.

"Where should I set up?" she asked as she walked in.

"Kitchen table," I replied with a sigh. I shut the door behind her.

"Oh, I love kitchens!" Cat exclaimed with a gasp. She pranced over to the table, energetic as ever. I was still frowning.

"Hey Andre," Cat greeted on the way.

"What's up little red?" he replied, making adjustments on his laptop distractedly. Cat spun around, her offended face on. I knew what was coming next but Andre had yet to see because he was busy.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded. Andre looked up.

"Uh, I don't know. Little red; you're little and ya got red hair," he explained with a shrug. Cat smiled once she understood.

"Oooh, that's so creative," she commented with a hop and a few claps.

"Do Tori now!" she said, making me hold out a hand to stop her.

"Let's get this whole monster make-up thing over with," I stated, already regretting my decision. Cat could be a handful sometimes. Andre turned to look at me but said nothing on the matter.

"Sure, let's get started," Cat replied, bubbly as ever. She continued on her way to the table.

"Hey, can Andre be my assistant?" Cat wondered.

"You can ask him," I replied, seeing nothing wrong with it. Cat was halfway to asking Andre when he was already out the door, yelling a 'bye' as he went. Clearly he wasn't interested.

"Maybe he had to use the bathroom," Cat said with a shrug.

"In my front yard?" I questioned.

"Well, sometimes my brother-" Cat began, but I had enough. Plus, I really didn't want to know where that story was going.

"Make-up time!" I yelled over her, moving to sit at the table. Cat went right to work while I sat patiently. The process was new and weird to me. I had never seen or even been subject to this type of art. When Cat finally finished, she dug through her supplies to find a mirror so that I could take a look at her creation.

"Ready?" Cat asked me, looking pleased.

"Yep, show me, me," I answered, a little curious. Cat positioned the mirror in a way I could see and I was shocked at what looked back at me. Was that me? Whoa, Cat really did a good job making me look like a zombie.

"Wow, look at me, I'm hideous!" I commented, making Cat smile happily.

"Oh, you really think so?" she asked. I stood and nodded.

"Yeah, I totally look like a zombie," I answered truthfully. Cat clapped her hands and jumped a little in her excitement.

"Yay, I'm not a failure!" she cheered. I suddenly got an idea on how to use my new look.

"Oh hey, let's go scare my sister," I suggested to Cat quietly. She agreed and I ran to the foot of the stairs calling to Trina.

"Trina, come see something!" I yelled.

"Is it for me?" Trina replied. That was always an important question when it came to my sister.

"Yeah, sure," I replied. Technically it was. I got ready to scare Trina as soon as she appeared on the steps.

"Where's Tori?" Trina asked Cat who only shrugged, but then Trina gasped.

"Did they deliver my vibrating hairbrush?" she wondered hopefully. Cat looked confused at the change in subject and that was when I burst from my hiding spot. I made the best scary sound I could but Trina just turned around to stare at me, unfazed.

"Oh come on, how could you not be scared by this?" I asked, waving a hand at my sister who still stood there staring at me.

"I've seen our grandmother naked. Nothing scares me anymore," she replied simply. I rolled my eyes, bummed that it didn't work.

"Come on; let me get some pics of your face!" Cat exclaimed, holding a camera in her hand. I agreed and took a step in Cat's direction when Trina stopped me for some apple juice. I froze, contemplating the command.

"Then…go get some," I told her.

"Fine, I'll get some myself," Trina complained, turning to make her way into the kitchen while Cat walked over to me. She held up the camera and I began making different poses for her to take a picture of. We had taken a few when Trina got our attention.

"Um, what's this for?" she asked hesitantly, holding up a bottle.

"Oh that's glue," Cat responded easily.

"Yeah, but why is it with your make-up supplies?" Trina questioned next. Her tone seemed to hint at a problem which made me uneasy. I stepped forward to stand by Cat.

"What's the problem?" I asked, making Cat fidget and Trina incredulous.

"This is Grizzly Glue. It's like industrial cement," Trina informed her, and by extent, me. I made a sound of shock and Trina's eyes widened.

"Cat, tell me you didn't use this on Tori's face," Trina demanded, sounding worried.

"Uh…" Cat stammered, looking from Trina to me. All at once we panicked and ran together. I grabbed the glue from Trina and began to read the label.

"For industrial use only. Caution: avoid contact with skin. Cat!" I exclaimed, outraged. The redhead shifted nervously.

"I'm sorry!" she burst out.

"Why didn't you use dermaglue?" Trina demanded.

"I ran out, so I got that out of my dad's tool box," she answered, face crumpled in sadness.

"Cat!" I yelled again. There wasn't much else that came to mind.

"Are you insane?" Trina demanded.

"Will it come off?" I asked, panicked.

"I don't know," Trina shot back.

"Why didn't you read the label?" I addressed Cat, my voice rising an octave in fear.

"'Cause, I got distracted by the picture of the cute grizzly bear," she told us, grabbing the bottle to point out said picture. We both stared wide eyed at her, disbelieving such a thing. But it was Cat. She began going on a rant about how cute it was but both of us cut her off. She screamed an apology again. We ended up bickering a little longer before deciding to try and get it off. We tried all forms of solutions but it wasn't budging and it only served to hurt when it pulled on my skin. Eventually I waved them away, done with it.

"Ugh, this is not gonna work," Trina concluded. Cat agreed.

"You guys, I'm playing the lead in a big musical tomorrow and my character is supposed to be beautiful!" I told them helplessly.

"Well, you do not look beautiful," Trina supplied. I turned to glare at her although I wasn't sure Trina could see it under the mess that was now my face. I jumped from the chair and grabbed her by the shoulders, screaming at her and making Trina scream back. Cat began to squeal in panic and rushed to separate us. She squeezed between us and then pushed us apart.

"Look, worse comes to worse you postpone the play," Cat told me.

"No, I can't. Sophia Michelle is coming to see it!" I responded.

"Oh wow, that's so exciting!" Cat yelled happily, completely forgetting the situation.

"No, it's not!" I retorted, the big smile slipping off Cat's face. Trina stood behind her, confused.

"'Cause I'm a rotting zombie!" I cried out, grabbing Cat by the shoulders and shaking her. The bickering started up again and Trina tried to yell over us to stop. I only vaguely caught the door opening over Cat's shoulder and Andre walked in with a box. I didn't hear what he said and frankly I didn't care. I was too caught up in yelling at Cat. He left just as quickly, most likely unwilling to be around when this is what he walked into. I could understand that. Eventually we quieted down and tried to think of a solution. We decided to call the company as well as a doctor and see if they had something that could remove it.

"Right, it's on her skin," Cat told the person on the other line of the phone. She was currently pacing back in forth in the living room. Trina was lying across the couch, a phone in her hand too. I was busy trying to wash the horrendous mask off but it didn't work. I barged in and threw down the towel I was using.

"It won't come off! And, my nose itches and I can't scratch it!" I yelled, stomping over to them in irritation. I tried to get to my nose again but failed.

"Who are you talking to?" I asked Trina.

"The doctor," she replied, holding up an open hand to silence me.

"Who are **you** talking to?" I asked Cat next.

"The glue company," she replied, silencing me in the same way. I sighed and began swaying nervously, my hands brushing over my face every so often. I still couldn't believe this was happening.

"No, you don't understand. It's all over her face," Cat said into the phone.

"Well, should I take her to the emergency room?" Trina spoke next.

"I didn't read the label, don't make me feel bad!" Cat shouted with a shake of her head.

"Ok, I'll tell Tori," Trina concluded with a nod. I turned to my sister, dying for some kind of news and hoping it was good.

"What! What! What!" I asked, hurriedly running over to plop on the couch and grab a pillow in anxiety. Trina held up a hand to silence me.

"Uh, listen, while I've got you on the phone, would I need my parent's permission to have minor cosmetic surgery?" she wondered.

"Trina! Hang up," I warned. Trina agreed reluctantly.

"What'd he say?" I asked her quickly.

"That I have to be eighteen if-" she began but I stopped her, in no mood to deal with Trina.

"About me! Can he get the zombie make-up off my face?" I yelled, flailing my arms with exasperation.

"Oh, no," Trina replied with a shake of her head. I growled and slammed the pillow down behind me, standing in my anger.

"Well did you tell him that I'm starring in a play tomorrow night that was written by Sophia Michelle and that Sophia Michelle is gonna be there and that I'm supposed to be beautiful and not look like a walking dead person who wants to eat people's brains?" I yelled at my sister, utterly frustrated at the whole thing. Trina watched me with a sad frown but said nothing. I groaned and threw myself back down on the couch.

"Really? You do?" Cat suddenly spoke up. I perked up excitedly at the seemingly good news.

"They do? They do what? What'd they do?" I begged to know, rushing over to Cat who was still on the phone. Trina ran over as well. Both of us came at Cat who backed up a little to avoid collision.

"They make a solvent that's safe for skin!" she told us.

"Well where do we get it?" I asked.

"I don't know," Cat replied. I rolled my eyes.

"Ask the man!" I retorted.

"It's a lady," Cat corrected in a whisper. Both Trina and I rolled our eyes this time.

"Ask **her**," I amended, holding out a hand for Cat to speed it up. She addressed the woman on the phone, Gale apparently, and went on to ask where to get the solvent. She nodded and agreed with Gale a few times, said goodbye, and then hung up. She sat staring into space after, prompting more irritation from me. I exchanged a look with Trina instead of losing all patience with Cat.

"Well?" I demanded. She turned to look at us.

"Oh, they don't sell it in stores," she answered. I sputtered but Cat rushed to reassure me.

"We just have to drive to Grizzly Industries and get it there," she said. The way she said it made it sound like a walk in the park.

"Ok, so where's Grizzly?" I asked.

"Bakersfield," Cat replied.

"Bakersfield?" I repeated, my panic slowly increasing again.

"Relax, that's only two hours from here. I can drive you there tomorrow," Trina suggested.

"When? I have school until three and then I have final rehearsal and then I have to do the play," I responded in irritation. Cat jumped up from the couch.

"Calm down! After school, I'll go with Trina to Bakersfield, pick up the solvent, drive back, and get the make-up off your face before the play starts," Cat stated confidently with crossed arms. Trina kept glancing between us, a confident smile on her face. I nodded and tried to stay calm.

"Ok, ok that sounds-" I began to say when the doorbell rang. We all looked over at the door.

"Ugh, who's that?" I yelled, stomping over to answer it. I flung the door open with an angry shout, scaring away two girl scouts. I tried to call to them to come back but they were long gone, screaming the whole way. Well, that proved that I was indeed hideous. I stood at the door, hoping the situation would get better and now wishing I had some cookies. It seemed to just keep getting worse.

* * *

I just made 2 little

girls scream and run away

with their cookies.

Mood = Bummed

* * *

The next day was not looking any better. I spent it explaining to people giving me strange looks and only getting increasingly anxious the more that time passed. By the time rehearsal came around I had no choice but to hope Cat and Trina could get me the solvent in time. The worst part hadn't happened yet, that was if I had to go on stage with the horrid mask on. So I walked into the Black Box Theater with all eyes on me. I caught Jade smirking amusedly from her seat and I gave her a frown in return that told her not to say anything. She only shrugged and stepped away from Beck who watched in mild amusement. Jade sauntered over to me and leaned in.

"I don't have to make fun of you, Vega. Half the school already has, I'm sure," she informed me, smiling and walking away. I glared at her then turned away while crossing my arms.

"It'll be fine Tori. You said Trina and Cat got it covered," Beck told me, a hand on my shoulder.

"That is **so** reassuring," Jade piped up from the seat she had returned to. I didn't want to agree with her but the very same thoughts ran through my head. Still, I rolled my eyes and turned to retaliate when the director came in and told us to start rehearsal. We all scattered to get into our places. When we finished the last song the director called me over. I already knew what he was going to say.

"Yeah, what's up?" I asked him anyway. He looked at me with a mix of disgust and worry.

"You're face, it's still hideous," he told me simply.

"I know, but my sister and Cat are already on their way back from Bakersfield with the solvent," I explained.

"You're sure?" he asked hopefully, hands out in a gesture of nervous unease.

"Totally, yes," I replied with a nod even though I wasn't at all sure. He didn't look too convinced either.

"Alright," he reluctantly agreed with a sigh, walking away to address others in the play. As soon as he was gone I whimpered in worry and yanked out my phone to get a hold of my sister and Cat. Despite what I had said, I still had an uneasy feeling that they wouldn't make it back in time. I waited anxiously as it rang.

"Come on, come on, come on," I muttered impatiently. It rang for a while longer and I began to wonder what was taking so long.

"Hi, Trina's phone," Cat's bubbly voice finally answered.

"Are you on your way back with the solvent? Tell me you're on your way back with the solvent," I demanded in a hurry.

"Who's calling?" Cat asked airily, making me wave my hands in suppressed frustration.

"It's Tori!" I almost yelled.

"Oh, hey Tori!" Cat greeted. I rolled my eyes and was about to ask Cat who she thought was calling but there was a shuffle of movement before Cat spoke again.

"Kay kay, Tori, you are on speaker. Trina is also in the car," she informed me. What the heck?

"Where are you guys?" I asked with a sigh, trying not to lose my temper.

"Relax, we're almost at the factory," Trina answered calmly. I wasn't calm. In fact, I was going to be so far from it if they didn't hurry up. Out of the corner of my eyes I happened to see Jade rummaging in her bag for something. I had no idea why I was even wondering what she was doing at a time like this but I was. Trina's answer made me stutter in shock, bringing me back to the problem at hand.

"The fac-you're not even there yet? The show starts in like two hours!" I exclaimed.

"We'll make it," Trina replied easily. A series of yelling about punch buggies followed and a horn blared. I was quickly losing faith in the two. My eyes went back to Jade who was now accompanied by Beck. He stood in front of her, blocking my view of her.

"Listen to me. If you two morons aren't back before the play starts and I have to go on stage looking like a zombie I'm going to punch both your buggies!" I screamed into the phone, my temper rising with my desperation. I heard Trina trying to snap back but I talked over her.

"Just hurry!" I yelled, hanging up. I shoved my phone in my pocket and crossed my arms. What was I going to do now?

* * *

Never send Trina and Cat to

do ANYTHING!

Mood = Desperate

* * *

**~Jade~**

Vega was busy pacing back and forth, trying not to panic too much. She was backstage moments away from performing while looking like a zombie. Sophia Michelle would be watching and she was sure to disapprove. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't hear me trying to get her attention. No one could ignore me for too long though.

"Vega, we're starting soon. You need to be in place," I told her. She ignored me of course, missing the angry glare I now gave her for doing so. She was just about to pace the other way but stopped when I tossed my projectile at her back. She flinched at the solid hit and I could see her hold in her cry of pain. She turned to see me looking back at her with faux innocence. She stomped over with what I figured would have been a frown if not for the mask covering her face.

"What was that for?" she stated with her arms held up to further question my motives. I just shrugged and waved a dismissive hand.

"I was talking to you and you ignored me. I had to get your attention somehow," I responded nonchalantly. Beck shook his head next to me. We were both in full costume, waiting around for the play to start.

"Look Jade, I don't have time to deal with you, ok? I'm kind of stuck in a situation that-" Vega began to explain but I shushed her with another wave of my hand.

"Yeah, yeah, you're stuck looking like that and have to rely on two morons, I know. If you hadn't noticed we have to get in our places so hurry up. If you paid more attention you'd see that," I responded in a touchy manner. My eyes occasionally shifted to what I had thrown at her. It laid on the floor as I spoke next to Vega. I gave it another pointed look but she wasn't getting it. I turned on my heel and walked away in the direction of the dressing rooms. See what I get for trying to help? She was hopeless. I killed time hanging out in the dressing room, well away from Vega. If not to stop myself from helping her further then to stop myself from throwing something else at her. God, she could be so dense when she was too absorbed in something. A few minutes passed and someone barged into the room. Well, that was short lived peace and quiet. I stood leaning against one of the vanities but glanced up to see it was Vega. She was too busy looking around to notice me at first.

"Finally found it I see," I commented, looking away from my nails to nod at the can in Vega's hand. It was what I had thrown at her. She didn't even recognize the answer to her problem even when it hit her, literally. I did that on purpose of course, but like I said, too absorbed. Oblivious. She looked down at it and then up at me. Had her face been readable her eyebrows would have been scrunched up in confusion by now and then smooth out in understanding. I could practically see it.

"You wanted me to find this; but why? Why help me?" she asked me. I sighed and rolled my eyes. I couldn't possibly tell Vega that I was trying to help her so I did what I did best.

"Well, I already suggested to the director that I could take over for the lead but he said no because he didn't have anyone to play my part. I got him back though. Who wears scarves indoors? Anyway, I don't want your hideous complexion to ruin the play I'm in. If it offends Sophia Michelle I don't want to be involved in the mess so I decided to fix the problem myself," I explained.

"How did you know I needed this though?" Vega asked, shaking the solvent at me. I shrugged and got up to take a few steps forward.

"Easy, it's not the first time Cat used that stupid Grizzly Glue on someone because of the supposedly cute bear on it. She had used it on some other poor sap before and begged me to go get her the solvent. You know Cat, her memory isn't the best sometimes," I said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, so you know how to use it and get this off?" she questioned. I nodded slowly. Vega began walking over, probably relieved to finally be free of the thing on her face, but suddenly she stopped.

"Wait, how do I know you won't try anything? How do I know this isn't just some twisted plan to land me in something worse?" she interrogated. I rolled my eyes and stomped over to snatch the solvent out of her hands.

"I just told you I don't want to be involved in a horrible excuse for a play, Vega. I'm not going to ruin it further just to see you squirm. Now sit down and shut up," I commanded, grabbing Vega by the wrist and leading her to a chair. I pushed her to sit and then popped off the cap.

"I still don't like this. You're known to do almost anything to hurt someone," she muttered uncertainly.

"Not when my reputation is on the line. If that means helping you then I can make a few exceptions. Plus, you said it yourself, I'll do almost anything," I responded with a triumphant smirk. Vega groaned but nodded. Really, she had no choice.

"Ok, fine. There's no time to argue. The play starts in like twenty minutes," she whined. I smiled with an approving nod. The next half hour was spent removing all traces of the zombie mess and then Vega replaced it with subtle make-up for the play. She didn't question when I decided to stick around, something I was grateful for because even I was questioning that.

"Yay, I'm not hideous anymore!" she said, looking at herself in the mirror. Even though I could agree with her words I couldn't help teasing the younger Vega. I let out a snicker and looked away when she shot me a glare, catching on to what I implied without words.

"What? I didn't say anything," I shot back defensively.

"You didn't need to," she replied haughtily. I only sighed and walked over to her, crossing my arms and leveling her with an apathetic frown.

"Just be happy I helped," I told her simply. I walked out after that, no longer needing to hang around. She got what she needed so I left her at a loss for what to do. She could think whatever she wanted concerning why I helped. I knew it was for me, not her.

**~Tori~**

Jade had helped me no matter what the reason was. That's all I could think about. It was so strange and nice but at the same time, confusing. It was then I remembered the play and rushed from the room. Dang it. After all this I might just end up late. I made it to my spot with seconds to spare and it began soon after. Everyone played their part perfectly and when it came time for the big song with Beck, I was more than happy I wasn't still a zombie. I glanced at Jade who I had just passed and silently thanked her for helping in her own bizarre way. Who knew what would have happened if I still looked freaky in the face?

Trina and Cat suddenly showed up standing off stage and gesturing for me to go to them. I ignored them and they stopped when they realized I didn't need them anymore. Both stared with open mouths of confusion. I just smiled and finished the song. I saw Sophia Michelle in the crowd. She was nodding approvingly, clearly enjoying the show. Once the last note was sung the audience cheered and applauded. The curtains closed and the crowd sifted out. Everyone stood around on stage after the show, exchanging congratulations and just conversing. I walked up to stand by Jade who spared me a quick flick of her eyes.

"I just wanted to say thanks," I told her softly.

"Just remember it wasn't for you Vega," she replied, stern. I sighed but shrugged and accepted the answer. Jade turned away to talk to someone who had come up to ask her something. However, her whole attention didn't look like she was invested in it. I found myself wondering what could be on her mind.

**~Jade~**

I couldn't believe I was still wondering why I went through all that trouble of driving out to Bakersfield just to get some stupid solvent on time all to help Vega, a goody-two-shoes I didn't even like, or maybe, refused to like? No, I didn't like her. But seriously, all it took was hearing a distressed Cat talk about the situation and then I was gone as soon as possible. It wasn't suspicious at all for me to leave school whenever I felt like it. The girl I was barely paying any attention to had then turned to ask Vega something. Cat joined us soon after. We were holding a conversation between the four of us when Sophia Michelle walked over. The rest of the cast and crew followed to surround her, wanting to hear what she had to say.

"When I wrote this play I never thought it would be picked up by such a talented group of performers as yourselves. You really drove home the point of the play, which is substance over beauty, and beauty within," she praised. The cast thanked her for her kind words.

"Well, we're really glad you liked it," Vega spoke up cheerfully.

"Yeah, and did you enjoy my performance Ms. Michelle?" Robbie added hopefully. I looked away; amusement plain on my face. I was curious to see what Sophia Michelle had to say though. Vega seemed to think so too because she caught my eyes and then looked at the playwright.

"Wow, I'm late for my plane," she excused herself without answering. Everyone's expressions reflected puzzled curiosity but no one wanted to comment except me. I just had to at that point.

"But we heard you were going to be in LA all week," I stated, questioning her answer only because I was sure I knew why she really said it.

"Right, well, bye," she responded, quickly walking away. See, she didn't even have a good excuse. I smirked, proud to further point out Robbie's ineptitude when it came to performing. We watched her go, Robbie staring after her while opening and closing his mouth like a lame goldfish.

"Alright, congratulations everyone. Now before we go, just a couple of-" the director said happily when he was cut off by colorful lights and disco music. Everyone slowly turned to look up at the cat walk where Sinjin stood wearing disco attire. What is wrong with him?

"Don't fight it!" he shouted before breaking into dance. Everyone exchanged looks and shrugged, deciding unanimously that we deserved a small celebration for a job well done. We all began dancing to the music, and later, we retired to get dressed back in our own clothes then pack up. Vega followed her sister out, passing me on the way where I stood next to Beck. I looked up just as she walked by. She offered me a grateful smile that I reluctantly returned. I made sure it was brief though. I turned away from her right after, scolding myself. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her shrug it off and then leave. Beck got my attention with a touch to my shoulder then I let him lead the way out, trying to keep my thoughts away from what I had done.

**~Tori~**

I fell into the passenger seat, half listening to Trina yap. The whole play might have been a disaster if it wasn't for Jade. Wow, it was weird how true that statement was. Jade helped me. Again. I still had a feeling she hadn't done it for reputation sake but she denied it so much I guess I should just let her believe whatever she wanted. I wasn't complaining. All I knew was, Jade was capable of helping someone; even if it was someone she disliked. That was good enough for me. I happily listened to Trina babble, since I wasn't really listening, as we made our way back home. Jade was a pain, but if she kept pulling things like this I couldn't help but be convinced that she could be a good friend every once in a while.


	7. Robarazzi

**I'm on a roll.**

* * *

**~Tori~**

So far, since enrolling in Hollywood Arts, I still haven't got over the fact that it isn't a normal school. Even the students are questionable sometimes. Take Cat, almost the oddest one of the bunch. She's nice and sweet but sometimes…I just don't know what goes on in her head. Today at lunch she came scurrying over to set down this machine thing on the table. It attracted all our attention, even Jade's, although she was looking at it in a way that suggested she was pretty much used to this kind of thing. We all gave the machine a cursory glance before looking to a smiling Cat to explain. When she didn't, we went back to our food. I was sure she would explain eventually.

"Don't you guys want to know what that is?" she questioned. And there it was. Cat's curiosity always made her the first to point things out so it stumped her when we weren't quick to figure out what she had brought over. Jade looked up from her food to set her vibrant gaze on our red haired friend. The things she had to say were mean most of the time but I had to give her credit for the small amount of humor, snappy comebacks, and catchy one-liners. I'd like it more if she didn't use them to hurt people as much as she did.

"Is it a transporter from another dimension that can beam you to another table? Because if it is, what button do I push?" Jade questioned, her voice starting off light only to gain annoyance, hardening the tone. Cat was instantly upset.

"That's so hurtful," she responded. It was like an unspoken inevitability that I would step in to account for Jade's bitter words. No one else really risked Jade's temper but me. She seemed to know I would too because her gaze found mine for a second before I turned to Cat to offer her a smile then looked back at her.

"You know, you don't always have to be mean to everyone," I told her.

"See, Tori's interested in my device," Cat joined in. Usually, whoever followed the first to speak out didn't get it as bad, especially if I was the first to speak out, which was most of the time. Jade's temper ran stronger when it came to me speaking out against her. But even though I stuck up for Cat, I had to tell the truth.

"I'm **really** not," I said to her. She pouted.

"Aw, come on little red. Tell us about your do-hickey" Andre encouraged. Good 'ol Andre. Cat was now all smiles again.

"Ok, it's called The Snowbee. Watch," Cat explained, reaching over to push at some buttons. White flakes shot from it so suddenly we all jumped, but then we were glancing around in confusion.

"Is this supposed to be snow?" Jade scoffed while Cat squealed happily, throwing her hands in the air. Jade went on to scowl and try brushing off the fake snow. I chuckled quietly but had to agree that this thing was just unnecessary. Eventually, Jade had enough and got up to shut it off.

"It makes pretend snow!" Cat cheered. I just sat in place wondering why this was a good thing while Andre and Beck began brushing themselves off.

"I see that," Andre commented.

"It's all over my tostada," Beck mentioned.

"And my pizza," I remarked.

"Well do **not** eat it," Cat warned.

"Why?" Jade replied cautiously, looking to her.

"'Cause it says the fake snow is toxic and can cause abdominal bleeding," she answered, reading off what I assumed to be the machine's pamphlet. Almost as one we all shoved our food away.

"So…what made you buy a machine that poisons people's lunches?" I asked her, slightly upset I didn't get to finish my food. Cat happily pulled out a magazine to present it to us.

"This catalogue!" she exclaimed.

"Sky Store?" Beck questioned.

"Yeah. I went to visit my uncle and uncle this weekend in San Francisco and they had these on the plane," Cat explained.

"It's like filled with all kinds of cool stuff you can buy," she continued, flipping through the magazine. We only stared, not even moving when she gasped.

"Like this! A tree face! You put it on your tree to give it a face!" she joyfully pointed out, turning to the right page and showing it to us. None of us were interested but Jade looked particularly unamused.

"What if you don't have a tree?" I questioned, just to see what she would say.

"It also works on bushes," she responded. Well…that's all I had to say about that. Cat giggled and I looked to Jade and Beck, exchanging a questionable quirk of my brow with Beck's furrowed brows and Jade's creased ones. Nothing more could be said because Robbie showed up, speaking as soon as he arrived.

"Unbelievable! You guys have no idea how upset I am about-it snowed? In Los Angeles?!" he began to say but stopped to look up at the sky.

"I told you global warming was bogus," Rex piped up.

"Stop watching Fox News," Robbie told him.

"No! It's fair and balanced!" Rex denied.

"Dude," I began, looking up at him.

"It's not real snow," Beck finished. Jade gave him a look while she worked on scooping up some of it with a fork.

"But you can eat it," she offered, holding it out to him. I marveled at her ability to seem so innocent. Good thing everyone knew she wasn't. Most of the time, at least. Robbie sighed and sat down between Beck and I.

"I don't want to eat anything," he grumbled. Jade shrugged and dropped the fork.

"What are you all upset about?" Andre wondered.

"This time," Beck huffed out. I didn't like the tone to his voice, but it was true, Robbie did get upset often.

"Well, the seniors-the ones who run The Slap-" he began to say.

"Dot com?" Cat interrupted.

"No, dot gov, yes dot com!" Robbie answered. Cat frowned and I shot her a small but apologetic smile so that she wouldn't be upset too.

"They wanna cancel my blog!" he went on.

"Hey! No wait, I don't care," Jade told him with a snap of her fingers. I glared at her and Beck shook his head.

"Why?" I questioned Robbie. We weren't going to get anywhere the way we were going so I had to ask.

"'Cause it's boring. Ha!" Rex responded before Robbie could.

"It is not bor-pfft, do you guys think my blog on The Slap is boring?" Robbie snapped back at Rex before turning to us for our opinion. Uhh, by our silence I think we all had the same answer but didn't want to give it.

"Hey look, it's that guy over there," Beck suddenly said, changing the subject.

"It is that guy," Cat agreed, for once catching on to what was happening.

"Wait up guy," Andre added, joining Cat, Beck, and Jade in packing up. I stayed where I was. I was too sympathetic to ditch him. Also, I was pretty sure he knew what had happened anyway. As if to drive the point home, Jade strode by behind us.

"There's no guy," she stated. I glared at her once more but she just smirked in return and flicked me on the nose on her way past. I flinched and rubbed at it before turning to Robbie who had smacked the table. I sighed.

"I'm sorry they wanna cancel your blog," I offered.

"I just don't understand why," he replied.

"Well, what kind of things do you report on?" I inquired, hoping to find a way to help him make it more interesting.

"You know, school news. Like last week, I did a report about the library being painted," he shared.

"Boring!" Rex said, dragging the word out. Sadly, it was. Robbie turned on him, ready to say something, but gave up.

"What else?" I prompted, moving the conversation along.

"Um, I did a piece on Principal Eichner's new office make over," he said. Well, that wasn't too interesting either. Rex yawned dramatically this time.

"Oh! I did a three part series on carpooling!" he said, excited like it was any better.

"Which was three parts too many," Rex dissed. I closed my eyes and took a breath before speaking.

"Look, if you wanna save your blog why don't you just make it about the students here? You know, like all the stuff that goes on in their lives?" I suggested.

"You think?" he responded uncertainly. I nodded.

"Sure," I replied. After all, people always find the lives of others interesting. What could go wrong?

"Ok, I could try that," Robbie agreed, a hesitant but hopeful smile in place.

"Good," I concluded, moving to get my bag so that I could go.

"Oh, uh, don't eat the snow unless you wanna bleed internally," I warned him, gesturing to the mess all over the table. I patted his back then walked away. Hopefully that worked out for him. I smiled as I headed for class, glad to have helped out a friend. My smile wavered and then disappeared when Jade fell into step next to me.

"What is it now?" I questioned her.

"What did you tell puppet boy?" she replied, glancing at me once before looking forward.

"Just gave him some advice on how to make his blog a little more interesting, that's all," I told her. She shook her head and made a disappointed sound.

"What?" I demanded.

"Knowing Robbie he may just screw that up too. You should have just left it alone," she advised.

"And let his blog get taken down?" I responded, appalled.

"Yes," she confirmed.

"No!" I denied. She shrugged and sped up only to round on me, blocking my path. I put on the breaks and stopped just in time.

"Ok Vega, but if your little idea fails like they usually do you better hope it doesn't affect anyone but you," she threatened.

"Oh, like who? You? And what do you mean if it fails like it usually does? I helped you haven't I?" I retorted, offended. I tried my best to help anyone I could. I didn't always get it right but at least I tried. That's more than I could say about her. Well, she did help me here and there…

"Me especially, because after I ruin the nerd I'll be looking for you," she said with a poke to my chest. I rubbed at the assaulted spot.

"Fine," I stated.

"Fine," she reiterated. She shoulder checked me on the way past, stomping down the hall and yelling at some chick who had been standing in her way. I rolled my eyes and continued to class. The rest of the day seemed to fly right by and in no time I was back home relaxing.

**~Jade~**

Vega had no idea what she was getting into by helping Robbie. I knew him, and I knew that whenever he was involved it was doomed to failure in some way. Yes, not providing help for him was a crappy thing for us to do, but we all knew from experience that it always bit us in the butt in the end, which is why we stopped. A popular school status just wasn't in the cards for Robbie and I had a feeling Vega was going to have to see it firsthand. It was always the hard way with her. I noticed inklings of gossip not too long later. Well, that wasn't unusual in a high school. What really caught my attention was when I heard what it was about. Apparently, a video of Vega was being spread around. It wasn't putting her in a good light and it was trending. That was new. I didn't like the chick but I hated the way people were talking about her more. Damn puppet boy. Like I said, help him out and you get nothing but grief from him in return. I passed a guy who was showing the video to this chick next to him. I growled and smacked his phone out of his hand. It hit the tiled floor and shattered the screen.

"My bad. Watch where you're standing," I threw out casually as I walked by. He opened his mouth to say something when I just leveled him with a scowl. He bit back whatever he had to say, scooped up his damaged phone, and quickly walked away. The girl followed right behind him. Yeah, Vega was already getting some backlash. Too bad I couldn't fully enjoy it.

**~Tori~**

It didn't take long for people to start acting weird. I wasn't sure what it was but I had this weird feeling that I was involved somehow. But that was just weird, right? Right? I mean, maybe it's just me? No, it wasn't just me. After hearing about a video concerning me that was posted on The Slap, and then getting laughed at behind my back a few more times, I checked for myself. What I saw had me seeing red. Maybe Jade was on to something when she said not to help him? Ugh, and now I was agreeing with Jade again. Great. Anyway, I was ready to confront Robbie about his latest post so I didn't hesitate to advance on him the moment I strode down the hall, turned the corner, and spotted him.

"Robbie!" I growled. He gasped and tried to run for it but I charged and grabbed him before he could go anywhere. He squeaked when I yanked him around to face me.

"Uh, um, h-heya Tori…how are things?" he stammered, eyes flicking everywhere but at me. He was looking for an escape but I wasn't going to give him one. I stood with a tense posture, my hands gripping my notebook, and a narrowed eyed glare aimed right at him.

"I see you're still rockin' that chin zit," Rex commented. I was so ready to let my fists fly but I stopped myself, and it wasn't because Rex threatened to sue me. It just wouldn't be right. I let out a sigh and dropped my fist, trying to relax.

"How could you post that video of me squeezing my pimple?!" I demanded, outraged.

"Y-you told me to make a blog about the students! T-the stuff that goes on in their lives!" he pointed out. No, this was not my fault.

"Yeah, not the stuff that grows on my face!" I bit back.

"But it's really popular!" he defended. Yeah, but, not when it harms people's feelings! What was he thinking?

"I told you to do stories about what's going on in students' lives, not to embarrass and degrade people!" I yelled at him, trying to keep myself as calm as possible. He shifted a little but said nothing so I kept going.

"I mean seriously, is being popular that important to you?" I questioned him. He seemed to be thinking about it, exchanging a look with Rex.

"Yes," he decided, turning and walking away decisively. I stood there too stunned to move. I didn't know if I was more angry or embarrassed now. I had no choice but to continue on with my day, enduring everyone talking about me. No matter how many times I heard or saw anything to do with that dang blog I got angry all over again. It wasn't until we had a free period that we spent in the Black Box Theater where we watched more of Robbie's horrible blog when I was done with allowing it to continue.

**~Jade~**

"_Welcome to Robarazzi, starring Robbie Shapiro. Robarazzi, you're home for up to the minute tasty gossip about students at Hollywood Arts. Robarazzi, starring Robbie Shapiro_," the video Robbie announced. I stood behind Beck, glaring at the computer screen with crossed arms, a coffee in hand that I sipped at every so often. Vega sat in a seat in front and off to my left. She was staring at the screen too. This was the longest time I've ever seen her angry so far. I told her helping Shapiro was bad news, but did she listen to me? No, of course not.

"Oh my god," she grumbled.

"_Coming up on Robarazzi, Tori Vega's pimple. Shrinking, or growing?_"

It showed a picture of Vega now, looking really angry, with a red question mark over it. Then it zoomed in. Vega scowled further at the picture. I watched as Beck's hand came close to her chin but was slapped away. The abrupt and swift countermeasure made me smirk.

"Don't touch it!" Vega snapped at him. He pulled his hand away and shifted in the chair he was sitting backwards in. He held up his hands submissively and Vega left him alone. All our eyes were back on the screen of the laptop in front of us.

"_Also, does Andre Harris have a ketchup problem? Hmm?_"

We all looked to Andre who stood behind Vega. He looked back at us and shrugged.

"_Does Sinjin Van Cleef steal famous teeth? Probably._"

I nodded along with the others for that. Sinjin was known for doing some pretty oddball stuff.

"_Is it splitsville for Beck and Jade?_"

I had just taken a sip of my coffee when I heard that. I looked at the video with wide eyes and flared nostrils, my anger rising. My relationship with Beck may not be as boyfriend and girlfriend as was expected but it was still a relationship which I didn't like to hear being questioned. Beck glanced back at me and then smiled with a shake of his head, unconcerned. Of course he was.

"_All this and tons more on Robarazzi, starring Robbie Shapiro._"

As soon as the video was over Vega stomped her feet and got up, determination written on her face and held in her stance.

"He's a dead man," she decided. I couldn't agree more.

"Beck and I aren't splitting up," I commented, just to make that clear for myself.

"Well…" Beck began. I stopped to stare at him, unamused with his teasing.

"Dude," I stated, a tone to my voice that was all warning.

"Kidding," he amended, raising his hands. Why does he always have to do that? He knew how sensitive I was when it came to things like that yet he still did it.

"I use an appropriate amount of ketchup," Andre remarked next, insulted.

"Let's go fix this right now," Vega suggested, moving to head for the double doors after collecting her bag. We did the same and moved to follow her out but she stopped.

"Cat are you coming?" she questioned our currently shopaholic friend.

"Oh my god! Underwear that floats!" she exclaimed, holding up that Sky Store catalogue again. She then rushed to pick up her phone while we all became just a little more concerned. She really had to stop buying from that thing. Where is she even getting the money for it? We eventually turned away and walked out the door with the plan to either persuade or even outright yell at Robbie. I was sure Cat would be fine on her own. We made our way through the halls to the room Robbie and his team set up in. Vega burst in first, shouting, followed by Andre. Robbie tried to turn us away since he was in the middle of talking but we ignored him. We were on a mission. I was the next to throw his information back in his face with a point of my finger. Beck began to question it again and I yelled at him but he said he was kidding. Yeah, keep messing with me. It isn't funny and I'm already wazzed off. I caught Vega rolling her eyes at our bickering.

"Uh, are you guys getting this? Because this is really great stuff!" Robbie asked the camera man, which oddly enough, was Sinjin.

"Robbie! You're not gonna have any friends left if you keep exploiting us for your dumb blog!" Vega yelled, anger like I never heard from her before lacing every word. I couldn't agree more with her at the moment. Although I didn't really care too much about having Shapiro as a friend I wasn't too keen on having anymore lies being spread about me. Who knew what he would say next? Robbie ran over to his board of notes, uncaring of Vega's rage.

"Ok. We have Tori freaking out," he added. I could see her tensing and my own disbelief flickered on my face. What was wrong with him?

"Is he serious?" Vega questioned, glancing at us before stepping toward Robbie. She began to rant and we joined in, crowding him by the board. Some of his team joined in, trying to stop the outrage. I turned on one of them, ready to give them a piece of my mind too, when Vega yelled over us.

"Stop!" she ordered. We all did as she said to look at her.

"This is your last chance. Are you going to stop this Robarazzi thing of not?" she questioned Robbie. There was a moment of silence while he thought about it. We all waited.

"No," he finally said with a shake of his head. We all looked at him, dumbfounded. But then Vega clenched her jaw, looking like she was seconds from bashing the nerd in the face, but held it back at the last moment. She spun on her heel and strode to the door. The rest of us had no other reason to be there so we left too. I kinda hoped Vega had a plan to fix this now, as she always did, because I was ready to implement my own which wouldn't end well for Shapiro.

**~Tori~**

I sat at home with my laptop open and arms crossed, staring at the recent video Robbie put up of us on what he termed a 'psychotic rampage'. I shook my head and growled my agitation. I had decided that it was time to do something about this. No more Mrs. Nice Girl. It had to stop. There had to be something I could do.

* * *

Dear fellow students:

PLEASE STOP LOOKING AT

MY PIMPLE!

Mood = Embarrassed

* * *

The next day at lunch I spent the majority of it self-conscious of my face. I glanced around at everyone who passed with a hand pressed to my chin to hide the widely talked about blemish. Jade shot me a raised brow but I just shook my head.

"Ugh, I'm so mad at Robbie. I feel like everyone is staring at my pimple," I stated, addressing the whole table.

"Everyone is," Jade told me, voicing what I already knew. Why did she have to make things worse? I frowned at her, but she just shrugged.

"How do you think I feel? Five people today asked me about my ketchup addiction. One kid called me Mr. Ketchup," Andre spoke up, peeved.

"It's all Tori's fault," Jade said, looking to me. Here we go again.

"Really?" I replied sarcastically.

"They were about to kick Robbie off The Slap. You were the one who told him to start reporting on our personal lives and then you gave him ideas by letting him shoot videos of you playing with your pimple!" she exclaimed. I could only frown and look away.

"Give me the salt," she demanded. Andre reached over and passed it to her. She did tell me not to help him and I didn't listen. Now look where we were. I just wanted to help. I didn't think something like this would happen. Some guys came up to our table to give Andre a huge jug of ketchup, taunting him. Andre yelled that he didn't have a ketchup problem but they had already left, snickering. The flash of a crowd of students toting cameras caught Andre holding the jug, and all he could do was squint his eyes at the multiple flashes. We shooed them away and then quickly retreated.

"Who were they?" Andre inquired.

"Robarazzies," Beck answered.

"Robbie's little ninth grade photographers," Jade added, eyes flicking to Andre.

"Aw, man, now Robbie's got pics of me with this industrial sized ketchup. We gotta do somethin'," he groaned, setting it aside.

"Clearly," Jade stated. I took a breath to calm myself.

"I think we just have to show Robbie that we're not going to be his friends unless he stops embarrassing everybody," I suggested. It was the best I could think of at the moment. Everyone went quiet with their own thoughts. Even Jade had nothing more to say. Cat suddenly giggled next to me, and it was then I realized the new machine she had in front of her.

"Is that from the Sky Store?" Beck asked. Cat nodded.

"Uh huh," she confirmed.

"What is it?" Andre questioned her next.

"It's the world's most powerful portable juicer. 'For juicing on the go!'" she answered, announcing it like it was some commercial ad.

"You're so screwed up," Jade commented.

"No, it's really cool. Lookit," she disagreed, stealing Beck's pizza right out of his hand. He stumbled over his words, too caught off guard to make much of a deal, but Cat just stuck the slice in the top of the machine. We watched as she flipped the switch and juiced it. WE all looked a little shocked, except for Jade, who looked disgusted. Cat giggled again.

"See!" she said, passing the cup of liquid pizza to Beck.

"You juiced my pizza," he stated, slightly miffed as he held the cup in his hand.

"Why **chew** what you can **drink**?" Cat replied like it was obvious. I shook my head. Robbie showed up right after that and we all frowned at his appearance.

"What's up my peeps? How're you doing this fine day?" he greeted. Did he not realize the hostility directed at him? Was her that oblivious or did he really think he could do this to us them act like he didn't do anything at all. He found a spot between Jade and Andre who both didn't look too happy to have him there. Beck turned away, Cat narrowed her eyes, and I crossed my arms. Robbie turned to Andre and pointed at the jug of ketchup.

"You really need that much ketchup?" he questioned. Andre only stared. Without warning, he grabbed Robbie's backpack as launched it far from the table. No one was surprised. I guess it was better than decking him.

"Hey!" Robbie exclaimed. Jade followed that by opening his lunch and tossing it over the table and onto the floor while Robbie tripped over his words. He acted like their actions were unfounded, like he didn't know why it was happening.

"What's wrong with you guys?" he asked the table. I decided to remind him.

"Stop embarrassing us on your dumb Robbarazzi blog!" I yelled at him. It was then when the whole table went off on him.

"You guys embarrass yourselves! I just get it on tape and show the world!" he spoke over us. We all fell silent, disbelieving what he just said.

"Well, we don't wanna be your friends 'til you stop," Andre told him.

"Fine. Lots of other people wanna be my friends. Smart, attractive, people! See you on the web," he replied, getting up to leave. Well, that didn't do anything.

"Do you want me to juice your bagel?" Cat asked me. She didn't stay mad too long.

"I really don't," I responded. She only giggled and rested a hand on the juicing device. The rest of us could only carry on eating until lunch was over. By the end of the day I was so ready to go home.

**~Jade~**

I heard Cat had acquired something called a Ball Freshener that cleaned tennis balls. What's up with that? She didn't even play tennis. But of course, now she had the world's thinnest racket so that she can practice. She said Lane had tried to talk to her but got distracted with her purchases. Figures. Someone really had to better help Cat out of this. Later that night after working on homework I couldn't help but see what other dirt Robbie managed to get on us. The video I found almost made me throw my laptop in a fit of anger and fear. He managed to catch a conversation between Beck and I during one of the times we were out chatting in his car. I guess it could be called a date, but really, it wasn't meant to be.

It was just Beck and I being ourselves. Oh, and also for him to try and talk some sense into me again, which I ignored. That was the part of the conversation I dreaded that they had overheard. They hadn't caught that, thankfully, but the fact that they were sneaking around and recording us without permission easily got me angry again. I grabbed my phone and called up Beck to tell him what I had seen. He tried to calm me but it was too late. This was all Vega's fault. She had to be the one to fix this. I would make sure she did. I hung up on him, grabbed my keys, and then threw on my boots before stomping out the door. I drove straight to Vega's house and slammed my fist on her door. I didn't even care if I was bothering anyone. When no one answered I growled, pulled out my phone, and called her.

"_Who are you and why is your number blocked?"_

"Open your door," I demanded.

"_Jade?"_

"Who else? Now open the door Vega!" I replied, hanging up on her. A moment later she opened it and I pushed past her to barge in.

"You're lucky you opened it quickly," I growled at her, stopping to stand in the middle of her living room with my arms crossed.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. I was pleased to hear a cautious tone to her voice.

"I'm here to make you miserable for giving Robbie that idea. Because of you, everyone could of…they saw me talking with Beck…You know what? Never mind. Those creeps were spying on Beck and I when we were out together!" I told her.

"Why are you screaming at **me** then? Shouldn't you be reserving all your anger for Robbie?" she replied. I clenched my fists and then advanced on her, catching her by the shirt before she could flee.

"I'm screaming at you because it's your fault!" I snarled, yanking her closer so that I could grab her from the front of her shirt and hold her in place. We were almost nose to nose now.

"J-Jade-I-I…" she stammered, eyes wide. At that moment the door opened and Beck ran in to skid to a halt.

"Sorry for coming in without knocking but I was afraid I wouldn't get here in time," he explained, gesturing to me. I let Vega go to round on him.

"Get out of here, Beck. I'm handling the problem. Or, part of it," I said, glancing at Vega who was busy smoothing out her shirt with a frown.

"Jade, relax. You need to think about what you're going to do first and then-" he tried to say but I just spun him around and pushed him towards the door.

"I **am** relaxed. In fact, I've never been calmer. I just want a little _chat_ with Vega," I forced out in the best calm voice I could managed, throwing in a tense smile that I knew he saw right through. He sighed and looked to Vega who looked back in a pleading way but then he was looking at me.

"You sure?" he asked me.

"Yeah, whatever," I answered, waving him off then turning to grab Vega by the arm. I dragged her into the kitchen and deposited her in a chair at the table where her homework was spread out along with her laptop. She threw one last look at Beck but he just gave her a reassuring smile. He knew I wouldn't do anything too bad to her. She didn't know that though.

"Be nice," he told me on his way out. I ignored him.

"B-but…" Vega said, worried. The door shut behind Beck and Tori slouched in her chair. I slammed my hands on the table, startling her.

"Now find the video," I commanded. She quickly opened The Slap and found the newly uploaded video. We watched as the recording picked up just after Beck had offered to cheer me up. They barely missed the conversation we had about Vega. To say I was relieved was an understatement. I could only imagine what would happen if that got out. I watched as I complained until I happened to catch the camera guy camping out in the backseat. I pointed him out and Beck joined me in screaming at him until he jumped out and ran away. My eyes went to Tori to see that her mouth was hanging open and her eyes were wide in disbelief. She slammed the laptop shut and crossed her arms, sitting back in her chair.

"He's going too far," she said, looking to me out of the corner of her eyes. I nodded, staring at the closed laptop instead of her.

"Maybe we could, you know, put our heads together and think up a plan?" she suggested. I quirked an interested brow.

"What did you have in mind?" I inquired. Her eyebrows and nose scrunched in thought as she held a finger to her chin. I kept my face in a scowl and ignored how cute the expression was.

"Oh! Maybe we could-" she began to share, hopping up in her excitement, but tripping on the leg on the table. It skid a little to the left, hitting me in the hip, and knocking me off balance just as Tori fell against me. I stumbled back, throwing my right hand out to land on the table and stop us from falling. My left hand subconsciously went to Tori's waist, gripping so that she didn't hit the floor. Her left hand had done the same as my right, reaching past me to press on the table, while her right grabbed at my left shoulder. We stood there, almost nose to nose again, and stared at each other in shock at both the proximity as well as the near fall.

I didn't have much time to enjoy the unexpected contact, or even for Vega to start questioning the situation, when there were flashes at the glass door leading out to her patio. We both tensed and looked to see one of Robbie's Robarazzies snapping pictures. My grip on Tori tightened and then I pushed her away to charge at the trespasser. There was no way I was letting those pictures see the light of day. He panicked and ran for it but I chased him out the door, hearing Tori calling to me, but I didn't stop. I snagged the guy by the collar of his shirt, choking him, and then wrestled him for the camera which I forced from him. I shoved him away and then threw the device on the hard ground, pleased to see it shatter into pieces.

"That's not even mine!" he groaned.

"Then you shoulda thought of that when you stupidly snuck into someone else's yard to take pictures of them!" I yelled, ready to punch him out just for being associated with that stupid blog. He cringed when I advanced and then ran for it again. I slammed my boot down on the camera and then kicked it away, happy to relieve some of my anger. Tori came running out and stopped next to me.

"Jade!" she scolded when she saw the destroyed camera.

"What? Did you want to give Robbie more ammo?" I questioned haughtily, crossing my arms.

"No. But you could have been less violent and just took the camera from him," she mumbled.

"Yeah, well, now he can't take any pictures at all," I replied, my anger only simmering now. Tori sighed but nudged me and gestured for us to go back inside. When we walked in she adjusted the table while I shut the door. She then sat in the same chair and held her head in her hands with her elbows resting on the table. Mrs. Vega came in carrying bags and rushed over to show Tori something she bought. I stood on the sidelines and watched with delight as she tried to get Tori to try some foreign pit cream. Tori complained and refused, especially after she asked why her mom thought of her and bought it. Mrs. Vega finally gave up but told her she would try it later after I left if that was the reason why she wouldn't. After putting everything she bought away an leaving upstairs, Tori avoided looking at me. She was a little pink in the cheeks, clearly embarrassed.

"Like I didn't get enough of this already at school," she grumbled. I only shrugged. That was parents for you. I must have been crazy to think this, but I was going to let it slide. I could have teased her mercilessly, but as she said, we had all gotten enough of being embarrassed.

"What are we going to do?" she groaned, sounding tired. I walked over and sat on the table next to her. She looked like she was going to reprimand me but then thought better of it. I just smirked and leaned back to rest on my hands.

"We need to put an end to this," I remarked.

"Yeah, but how?" she replied, looking to me. She looked like a kicked dog. I looked away.

"Hey, I know what we can do," I said, brightening with a devilish idea. I shot a knowing smirk at Tori who sat up expectantly. God, now she looked like a hopeful puppy. I really had to stop thinking like this. I jumped off the table and then pulled up a chair so that I could share my idea with her. I was surprised when she added to it, making it better. That nerd was so going to get it.

**~Tori~**

* * *

GONNA GET YA Robbie Shapiro.

LOOK OUT.

Mood = Mischievous

* * *

I couldn't believe I just teamed up with Jade to get back at someone. It felt good to be on the same side for once. It didn't take much to set up our plan besides sharing it with Andre and Beck who we needed help from to make it work. We met up by my locker between classes. It was right after they guys had gym. We waited and waited, for what seemed like too long for me. I kept pacing back and forth, unable to settle. Jade stood leaning against the wall of lockers, picking at her nail polish, a camera strapped around her neck. She had bullied one of the Robbarazzies out of another one. It was kind of ironic that we'd be using it against Robbie. She looked so calm compared to me.

"Where are they?!" I stressed, turning to her.

"Patience," she replied, voice stern and steady. She wandered out to the middle of the hall with the camera in hand.

"But they finished gym ten minutes ago," I told her.

"It takes time to get from the locker room all the way here," she reminded me. I paced back over to the corner of the hall to look down it expectantly.

"Hey, did that pit cream work?" she asked with some curiosity when I turned back around to face her. I couldn't tell if she was teasing or generally asking but I didn't want to talk about it either way.

"Never, speak of it," I replied with a raised finger at her, the one holding the camcorder I had brought for the plan. She raised her brows at me but shrugged and said nothing. I might as well add what happened before that as something we probably won't speak about either. A second longer and we heard a door opening. We both perked up. This was it.

"Ooh, turn it on! Turn it on!" Jade told me with a type of excitement in her voice that was new to me. I liked hearing it. I also didn't mind the touch to my arm she gave me in passing. There was no time to dwell on either of those things because we were about to get our revenge. Jade held the camera at the ready and I powered up the camcorder. Beck came racing down the hall with Andre right behind him.

"We got him," Beck announced with a smile.

"He's right behind us," Andre added. They moved out of the way just as Robbie came around the corner yelling. He wore nothing but a towel around his waist. We had him right where we wanted him.

"It's not funny! You guys better give me back my clothes or I swear I'll-" he began only to freeze when Jade and I began taking pictures and recording him.

"Ah! Turn off the camera!" he shouted uselessly.

"Why? You look so cute," I taunted innocently. The few students in the hall began snickering behind us as they watched.

"Dance for us, Robbie," Jade joined in, taking on the voice of a modeling photographer. She snapped another picture.

"Give me back my clothes!" he yelled again.

"Should we?" I questioned, looking to Jade, Andre, and Beck standing behind me. The three of them thought for only a second before disagreeing.

"Yeah, I think we need to put this video online," I mentioned. Jade nodded and circled around to stand on my other side.

"What? No!" Robbie exclaimed, horrified.

"Sorry," Jade said, not sounding sorry at all as she took another picture.

"People want to see what the people want to see," I told him, throwing his words back at him.

"You cannot put this video online!" he commanded, shaking a finger at us.

"Ok," I replied.

"No problem," Beck said.

"We'll kill the video…" Andre began.

"…as long as you kill Robarazzi," I finished, turning from Andre to Robbie.

"What? No!" Robbie disagreed.

"Yes!" I demanded.

"My blog is a hit!" he exclaimed. Yeah, like that makes a difference when he wasn't the one in front of the camera. But now he was.

"Alright, then I'm just going to zoom in right here…" I threatened, doing as I said with Jade taking more pictures which I had a feeling were close ups too.

"No, no, don't, don't, don't," he pleaded, moving to block the lens with his hand. I pulled away.

"Are you going to stop?" I inquired pointedly.

"Well if I don't do Robarazzi what am I going to do for my blog on The Slap?" he questioned, arms out. I hummed in thought and then smiled.

"Throw him his clothes," I said, looking to Beck and Andre. They nodded and tossed Robbie his clothes. He dropped some but collected them off the floor to hug them to his chest. Jade glanced at me, waiting for me to share what I had thought of. This was sure to be safer idea than the last one. Everyone, including Robbie, agreed that his blog should be about low carb recipes. He muttered something about what to name it then ran off. Probably to get dressed. I exchanged a rare smile with Jade and felt ten kinds of relief. Everything would be better now. Hopefully.

* * *

Mmm…now I want a blueberry

muffin. I am one hungry girl!

Mood = Hungry

* * *

At the end of the day, Andre, Beck, and I sat down on the stairs in the main hall to try and talk Cat out of her Sky Store obsession. I was seated next to her with Andre on my other side. Beck stood leaning on the rail next to Cat. She sniffled and looked close to tears, sitting there clutching at the magazine while she flipped through the pages. I could see why Jade opted out of helping. A potentially crying Cat wasn't something she liked to deal with.

"Come on. Let me have it," Beck encouraged, holding out his hand. Cat whined and held it tighter.

"Maybe I can talk my parents into giving me my credit card back?" she said, looking at each of us. Beck sighed.

"Cat," he began.

"It's time to say good-bye to Sky Store," I chipped in.

"Don't you think that's the best thing to do?" Andre questioned softly. Cat looked at each of us again, distressed. When she looked at Beck he gestured for the magazine again. She petted it in farewell and then held it up to him with a squeak. Beck took it and tore it in half, causing Cat to squeak again and cover her face. I sympathized, but really, it was better this way. I scooted over and rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Look, I know it hurts now but you'll feel better soon," I told her. She took a deep breath and then let it out.

"I know," she mumbled.

"Wanna come hang for a while?" Andre offered.

"Nah, thanks. I just wanna sit here," she replied with a shake of her head.

"'Kay. Bye," I said, patting her on the head before getting up.

"See ya, sport," Beck added, tapping her with the ripped magazine before following. Andre caught up to us shortly after. We bounced ideas off each other concerning where we go and I reminded Beck to get in touch with Jade to let her know. He just smiled at me in a way that made me raise a brow at him, but he just shook his head. What? We should at least let her know so that she wasn't left out, right? It wasn't like I wanted her to go…well, maybe a little.

**~Jade~**

I walked down the stairs but stopped on the second landing when I saw Cat talking to Sinjin. He ran off and then Cat pulled out a Sky Store magazine. Wait, hadn't the gang put her through an intervention yet? If they had then she wasn't supposed to have that.

"Hey Cat," I greeted, walking down the rest of the steps to stand next to her. She yelped and tried to hide the magazine but I just yanked it out of her hands.

"No more," I ordered, tearing it in half. She whined and stomped her foot.

"Not again!" she cried out, her head bowed. I just rolled my eyes and strode past her. Those idiots really underestimated her. Maybe I should have been there, but I really didn't like seeing Cat cry, which is why I left so fast. I tossed the torn magazine in the trash on my way out and pulled out my phone to see a text from Beck telling me where everyone had decided to hang out. I replied that I was going with. Vega would be there. Why wouldn't I go? Messing with her would be a good ending to a day that had already gone so well.


	8. Survival of The Hottest

**~Tori~**

It was so, gosh darn, hot today! The sun's been beating down on us nonstop and there's no escape from it. It felt better when we were in a classroom, but now that it was lunch, just sitting out at the Asphalt Café was killer. Beck and Robbie were the first to show up after I took a seat. I was currently fanning myself with my hand, despite how futile an effort it was, and the guys kept shifting around uncomfortably.

"Oh my god. I am so…hot," I gasped, continuing to fan myself.

"Ain't that the truth," Rex commented. Robbie looked at him before Rex looked at me. I glared back at him. Why did it have nothing but suggestive or mean things to say? I kept questioning Robbie's mentality because of that puppet.

"What's the temperature now?" Beck wondered. Robbie reached down to retrieve something at his feet.

"Oh, um, well, according to my Pear Pad…" he began. Beck and I groaned and rolled our eyes. That thing was obnoxiously huge and Robbie had a habit of carrying it around for everything.

"…here in Hollywood it is…a hundred and three degrees," he informed us as he tapped a few times on the screen. Holy chiz! Beck and I groaned again, but this time at the weather. I glanced up at the sun, wishing some clouds would cover it up at least. Just a few seconds, that's all I ask.

"Man, I hate sweating," Beck remarked.

"I know. My arms feel like warm, wet, ham," I replied, frowning as I grabbed at my arm. Beck chuckled.

"Hi! I'm really hot but I'm still in a good mood," Cat greeted, running up to our table. She moved Robbie's Pear Pad out of the way then took a seat next to him.

"Robbie, you done with that water?" Jade suddenly said to my left, sliding into the seat right next to me. Not that I was complaining, but I didn't miss the fact that she usually did anything to be away from me. She could have made Beck scoot over and then sat on his other side, yet she hadn't. I didn't think too hard on what that could mean. I just gave her room.

"No," Robbie answered, picking up the water bottle and holding it close.

"Give it to me," Jade ordered, some bite to her tone.

"Alright," Robbie quickly conceded, handing it over. She snatched it from him and took a drink then flicked back her hair with a slight toss of her head. I glanced at her and then leaned closer just as she opened her eyes after they closed from the glare of the sun. She leaned away when I got too close but I held her still with my hands on her shoulder.

"What?" she demanded, scowling at me.

"You're not sweating," I told her, befuddled.

"Uh huh," she replied, not seeing why I was so stumped. I just couldn't believe it so I started feeling all over her face, neck, and arm looking for any perspiration at all. This was not natural. Jade tensed under my hands, her jaw clenched and lips tightening into a straight line.

"Having fun there?" she inquired. Most of the time I respected Jade's space and knew she didn't like to be touched, but I couldn't help it this time. It was so weird.

"How can you not be sweating?" I wondered, giving up to lean on the table.

"I don't sweat," she stated simply.

"Everyone sweats," I denied.

"Not Jade," Beck disagreed.

"Jade never sweats," Robbie added. Cat just shook her head.

"What do you mean she never sweats?" I asked, looking at him now.

"Sweating is gross so I don't do it," Jade answered instead, bringing my attention back to her. She said it like it was a law, a clear cut fact; like she could disregard something that was natural and out of anyone's control just because she didn't like it. Actually, I could believe that coming from Jade. It was still weird though.

"So what, you're just cold blooded?" I questioned her.

"Jade? Cold blooded? What a surprise," Rex remarked. Beck chuckled but Jade was not amused. She pulled out some sunscreen from her bag and then reached over to squirt a glob of it right on Rex's face. He screamed and Robbie's mouth fell open.

"That witch got sunscreen in my eyes! Help me Rob!" Rex shouted. Robbie hurried to comply, grabbing a napkin to wipe it off. Jade sat next to me with a small satisfied smile. Everyone knew, you messed with Jade, you get payback. Robbie calmed him as he wiped it off and we watched. Rex complained about tanning unevenly and I went back to wondering how Robbie's brain worked. It just wasn't right.

"What's up amigos; ami-girls?" Andre jovially greeted when he got to our table. I offered him a smile and Beck patted the seat next to him but Andre stayed standing.

"What's all that money for?" Cat asked. Andre waved the bills around.

"Me. I set up a kitty pool over there and I'm charging people five bucks for five minutes," he answered, holding up all the fingers of one hand for emphasis.

"Sinjin, you got three more minutes!" he hollered over to Sinjin who was splashing around in the pool like a toddler. Andre finally took a seat.

"Is it true that sweat and pee are like, 'cousins'?" Cat asked us, holding up her hands to use air quotes.

"What now?" Andre responded. It was uncanny how both Jade and I reacted the same way, shaking our heads in exasperation at Cat's weird thoughts.

"Man, how long is this heat wave gonna last?" Beck questioned. A far better one than what Cat asked.

"They say 'til Tuesday," I answered. Jade sighed and rested her head in her hand, her elbow resting on the table.

"Why would they say that?" Cat inquired, outraged, like it was the weatherman's fault. We all looked back at her, not knowing how to reply.

"Wow, it's up to one o' six in the Valley," Robbie informed us, tapping away again. We all groaned at that.

"Hey, check Venice beach," Beck suggested.

"Okay, um, Venice is…only ninety one degrees," he replied after a few taps. I lifted my head from its place resting on my crossed arms which were resting heavily on the table.

"Let's go to Venice," I said, jumping at the chance to be anywhere a little cooler. Even if it was only twelve degrees difference. It was a big difference at a time like this.

"You guys wanna?" Beck asked us.

"What, blow off school?" Jade suggested.

"I can get with that," Rex agreed.

"I meant Saturday. I could borrow my uncle's pick-up, hook it up to my RV, and we could all hit the beach," Beck suggested. Hey, that sounded nice. We all agreed, mumbling positively until it came to a halt.

"The beach? I am so in!" Trina said from behind Jade who looked back at her. When did my sister get here? Jade was the first to decline and Rex was the second. The rest of us were quick to follow their lead. Trina just excitedly talked over us, anticipating the trip, and then waltzed away. Beck tried to call her back and make it clear that she wasn't invited but he went unheard.

"No one likes you!" Jade shouted as a last ditch attempt. I sighed but didn't say anything. Rex grumbled.

"Hey! Hey Sinjin! He's face down in the kitty pool!" I pointed out, noticing when I happened to look over in that direction. Jade leaned back to see and then sat forward again.

"Yep," she confirmed, insensitive as ever. Andre looked at his phone.

"It's cool. He's still got two minutes left," he said. I sighed and got up to help him. I ran over and Robbie followed. We both crouched down and I flipped Sinjin over. He laid there gurgling water. Robbie suggested I give him mouth to mouth but that was where I drew the line. I pronounced him saved and got back up to walk away. Jade barely hid an amused smile but I caught the tail end of it and couldn't help but smile too. I took my seat again and then we picked up on another conversation.

* * *

On our way to THE BEACH!

Gonna COOOOL off!

So psyched! :)

Mood = Pumped

* * *

**~Jade~**

Saturday couldn't come fast enough, but when it did, we were all ready to have a day free from school. The plus being that we were also at the beach where it felt so much better. I may not sweat, something Vega can't seem to get over, but that didn't mean I wanted to be hot either. Driving over, I took the passenger seat of the truck while Beck was behind the wheel. We held small talk, and for once, it didn't go into anything serious or Vega related. I didn't want the day to be ruined before it even began. We miraculously found a huge space to fit the RV and then we got out. Beck walked over to open the door to the RV and Cat instantly sprinted out, yelling a mantra of needing to pee.

"Hurry back!" Beck called to her, twirling his keys absently.

"Kay kay!" she replied.

"She has the bladder of a squirrel," I remarked. Beck glanced at me and then we entered the RV.

"Who's ready for beach fun?" Beck questioned the gang. They cheered and gathered what they would be taking with them.

"Beck, this RV is so cool," Trina said.

"Oh, thanks," he replied.

"And you, like, live in this?" Trina continued, looking around.

"Yeah, well, parked in my parent's driveway," he explained.

"At least you have parents," Rex spoke up sadly. I froze going through my bag and Beck's eyes narrowed. Tori raised a brow.

"Hey, some things are private," Robbie told the puppet.

"I know," Rex replied, leaning in so that Robbie sheltered him. What at weirdo. I checked to make sure I had my sunscreen and towel when Vega began talking. Oh joy, what else is new?

"Hey, how come all these windows are tinted so dark?" she wondered.

"Oh, because my dad bought it from a rapper," Beck answered.

"All the windows are made of bulletproof glass," I added.

"What rapper?" Andre asked.

"Fat Biscuit," Beck said.

"**The** Fat Biscuit?" Vega said in awe. Everyone muttered with the same reaction. I just smiled at their awe. I could tell Beck was just soaking it up but he did nothing but smile. He was humble like that; a quality I liked.

"Uh huh," he said with a nod.

"You know, I heard he's thin now," Robbie mentioned.

"Yeah, he had that stomach surgery," Tori confirmed.

"Aw, good for Fat Biscuit," Trina commented. Everyone else nodded and went back to making sure they had everything. We were just waiting on them now.

"Hey," Vega said, trying to get my attention. Figures she would eventually find something to talk to me about. It was inevitable. I liked and hated it at the same time.

"What?" I replied, turning to her.

"Does it worry you that you never sweat?" she wondered. Was she really bugging about that again?

"No," I answered without having to think about it.

"But what if one day your sweat, like, builds up inside and you just explode?" she questioned. Was that even a serious question or was she messing with me? I decided I didn't care and would give her an answer worthy of such a question.

"I would **love** that," I responded with conviction. She gave me that half concerned and half confused look but I just turned away, ready to leave.

"Alright, it's starting to get hot in here," Andre pointed out.

"Yeah, let's go!" Tori agreed, plucking off the sunglasses that had been hanging on her tank top and sliding them on her nose. My own rested on my head but I would need them once we got out.

"Let's hit that beach!" Robbie cheered. Everyone else threw in shouts of their own and then Beck headed for the door.

"This way people," he said, pushing it open. I stepped out behind him and everyone else greeted the salty air with more cheers. We drifted but pretty much stayed together as we walked out to the sand. The gang chatted about when they would swim but I made plans to stay well away from the ocean. I had no desire to swim in that filthy water. We found a spot close to the water but not too close and I spread out my towel, taking a seat and setting my bag next to me. Everyone set down their stuff too and laid out towels. We sat talking together until Andre, Robbie, Beck, and Tori wanted to go swimming.

"What about you?" I shot at the older Vega. She scoffed and reclined on her towel.

"Me? Swim? As if! I came to relax and soak in the sun without dying of heat stroke," Trina replied. I rolled my eyes and dug around in my bag for my sunscreen. My skin would not survive without it. I only got around to applying it to my legs when Trina whined.

"Tori, wait!" she said, just as her sister got up to follow the guys to the water.

"Yeah?" Tori replied, pausing.

"I forgot my sunglasses. Could you get them for me?" she inquired. Tori sighed and then threw her head back, groaning.

"Trina," she said, dragging out her name. I smirked at her reluctance.

"What's up?" Beck asked, noticing that Tori had stopped.

"Trina wants me to get her sunglasses. Which she should have **already** had," Tori answered, shooting a glare at her sister. Beck smiled.

"Oh, maybe Jade could go with you so you aren't alone?" he suggested, looking to me. I frowned.

"Or maybe I won't," I retorted.

"It's only fair that you grab Cat's stuff. And don't forget to text her or something so that she knows where we're at," he told me. I grunted an affirmative and then stood up.

"Come on, Vega. Before I change my mind," I growled, giving him one last glare before I left. He was all smiles. I should have known he would try something like this, especially since he didn't lecture me to sleep. Tori fell into step with me as we made our way back to the RV. I was a little surprised that she hadn't talked my ear off yet. Tori stepped into the RV and I followed.

"Why do you even bother listening to that squawk box anyway?" I questioned her, standing by the door with my arms crossed. She dug through a bag and then produced the sunglasses she was looking for.

"Ah ha! Here they are!" she announced, holding them up before turning to me.

"Because if I don't she'll ruin the fun for everyone. Not just me," she replied.

"How noble of you," I muttered, unsure if I meant it or not. She seemed to be trying to decide on that too so I turned away to open the door so that I didn't have to meet her eyes.

"Anyway, let's go. Grab that bag. It's Cat's," I told her, gesturing in the direction of it. Tori sighed but nodded and picked it up. I pushed on the door and it hit something with a bang. I pushed on it two more times and got the same results. What the chiz?

"What's wrong?" she questioned.

"I dunno. The door won't open," I answered, pushing again. Tori dropped Cat's bag, hung her sister's sunglasses where hers had been, and then leaned past me to try the door for herself but she got the same results as I did.

"Just open it!" I told her, throwing up a hand. I knew deep down that I was beginning to think the worse and that it was starting to make me worry, no matter how hard I tried to push it away.

"I'm trying! Something's blocking the door," she responded, turning away after having peeked out. She moved to throw open the curtain and groaned.

"Aw man, some idiot parked a huge RV next to us," she pointed out. I looked out the window to see that she was right. I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Can't we go out the back door?" Vega questioned.

"There is no back door," I told her.

"Well that's stupid," she grumbled, plopping down on the bed.

"It's getting hot," she pointed out unnecessarily. I rolled my eyes.

"Before you ask to open a window, or something equally stupid, they're bulletproof so we can't," I reminded her.

"Aw, thanks a lot Fat Biscuit," she whined. I bristled. What did she call me?

"What?" I spat, turning on her.

"I meant the rapper!" she snapped back. Oh, well then, I guess I jumped to conclusions, but I wasn't going to apologize. It was getting hot and I already didn't have much tolerance. I turned away to start pacing.

"How about you try pushing on the door again?" Vega suggested.

"I can't push a seven thousand pound RV out of the way," I responded, stopping to glare at her. She stared back at me then threw up her hands.

"Then push harder!" she exclaimed.

"That doesn't even make any sense!" I yelled back. And just like that we were locked in a verbal fight, trying to talk over each other. Why, of all things, did I have to be stuck with Vega?

**~Tori~**

"Ok, ok, ok, stop! Let's not bug out!" I yelled over Jade, so suddenly that it managed to silence her. We had to keep our heads or we'd get nowhere. I had to admit that I began to panic, but now I was trying to resolve that.

"Dude, no one knows we're trapped in this toaster oven!" Jade yelled at me.

"Look, Cat went to the bathroom. She'll be back here in a minute. Then, she could start the truck and pull us forward so we can get out," I explained.

"Ok, fine," she relented, moving to sit on the couch. We both tried to relax with the claustrophobic heat surrounding us. We sat around waiting for what felt like hours and the heat was getting worse. I slid to the floor and hiked up my tank top in an effort to cool off. Jade was lying across the couch she had been sitting on, the hem of her black top tucked up and over the top so that her stomach was bared too. She hadn't complained in a while so I was starting to get a little worried.

"Where's Cat? She's been gone for way too long. How much pee can she hold? And by the way, why hasn't anyone come to look for us?" I questioned. Jade only made a grunting noise that I took to mean she had no answer.

"That's it. I'm calling her," I decided, taking out my phone. I looked down at the screen to see that there wasn't any reception. I whined and put it away.

"Useless. There's no reception," I said out loud for Jade's benefit. She only grunted again.

"Can't we get the AC running at least?" I asked her.

"It doesn't work unless the truck is running," she finally answered. Hearing her reply calmed me only a little. I pushed myself to my feet, wondering how hot it was to feel this bogged down.

"It's a hundred and two in here," I whined, looking at the thermometer hanging up on the wall. Jade only groaned this time. I walked over and slid down to rest against the bottom of the couch she was draped across.

"I need a cold drink," I said. Jade sat up suddenly, ready to get up.

"Me too," she agreed.

"Where are they?" I asked. Her face fell and then she let herself recline back on the couch.

"They're in the truck," she replied, making us both groan for the millionth time.

"What are we gonna do?" I questioned, that panic coming back. Jade didn't say anything so I started yelling Cat's name, then each of our friends' name. When that didn't make me feel better I started cursing Trina until Jade slid off the couch to cover my mouth, her arm coming from behind me so that she was almost pressed against me. Whoa, she was close. Maybe too close. That alone shut me up pretty quick.

"Will you stop it?!" she demanded. I fell quiet and she let me go, crawling back onto the couch. I stretched out on the floor with another whine.

"It's so hot!" I complained one last time. Silence followed for who knew how long. It finally broke when Jade sighed and got up to sit next to me on the floor.

"I can't believe Cat's not back yet. I can't believe no one has come looking for us. I'm gonna kill 'em when we get out of here," she whined at first, but then it slowly morphed into a growl.

"No you're not. How hot is it in here now anyway?" I responded, pushing at her shoulder. It was all I could do to reprimand her. She frowned and wiped at where I touched her. It was all she could do to be mean in return. I barely managed to pick myself up and check the thermometer again.

"Geez, it's a hundred and seven degrees now," I told her. She exhaled heavily but nothing more. I crawled back over to take my seat.

"There are parts of me I didn't even know could sweat," I mumbled, leaning back on the couch. Jade looked at me but then shook her head. She slumped over where she sat, panting lightly. My own breathing was a little more labored than hers. It was then when I remembered something.

"Oh my god. I forgot," I began. Jade turned to look at me, movements slow. I climbed to my hands and knees, quickly finding the bag I decided to leave in the RV. Finally, some luck.

"I brought a fan. A battery powered fan," I panted, pulling open the bag. Jade looked like she wanted to jump me for it but remained where she was.

"Here it is!" I stated triumphantly, holding up what I saw to be the answer to our prayers. Jade had crawled closer and rested on her knees next to me but gave me the dirtiest look when she caught sight of the fan. Yeah, it was kinda small, but so what? It was all we had.

"That's it?" she scoffed, hands on her hips. I looked to her with a scowl.

"Yeah. I mean, I know it's not big-" I replied, but Jade cut across me.

"It's an embarrassment," she corrected, an odd tremble to her usually strong tone. So the heat **was** getting to her. And here I thought I was the only one losing my mind to the heat. Regardless, she could try to be a little more civil. At least I was trying.

"You tease," she continued, getting ready to get up. Oh, **I'm** the tease? You know what, no. Let's see just how much she wants the fan.

"Ok, fine. I guess I just won't turn it on then," I replied, dropping it back in my bag.

"No, no, no!" she shouted, turning back around to plead with me.

"Now you like my tiny fan don'tcha!" I exclaimed, shaking it at her. She looked away with a pout. I got comfortable and then held it out in front of me.

"Get over here then," I grumbled. She sat down next to me, and any other time I would have liked her close, but right now, it was way to fudging hot. I flipped the switch and the small breeze it created made us both sigh. It wasn't much but at least it was something. We sat like that in front of the small fan, swaying from side to side to keep the air on us.

"Well, at least it oscillates," Jade pointed out.

"Yeah. Man, where **is** everyone?" I replied. Jade's frown returned instead of the desperate expression she had for some time now. It felt more stabilizing to see it.

"Who cares," she bit out. She must have already stubbornly wrote them off a long time ago but I was still hopeful that they would return soon. It wasn't an 'if', it was a 'when'. As long as something didn't happen to them. Oh no.

"I hope they're all right," I mentioned. Jade rolled her eyes, leaning into me once more in order to chase the fan.

"Whatever," she grumbled. We silently followed the fan back and forth until it began to sputter and slow down.

"Uh oh. Uh oh. No, no, no," I begged, watching as it kept spinning slower.

"It's slowing down," I ground out, wishing it wouldn't. Jade shook her head, but our will alone didn't keep it turning and it eventually stopped. We both yelled at it at the same time. Jade grabbed it and chucked it back towards my bag.

"Stupid piece of s-" she cursed but I held out a hand.

"Language!" I shouted over her.

"Chiz," she decided on grudgingly.

"We gotta drink something," I said, falling back against the couch Jade decided to lay on again.

"What is there? All that's here is a fish tank," she responded, pointing lazily at it.

"Yeah, how 'bout that?" I said, wondering why she hadn't pointed that out before.

"Beck never cleaned it," she mumbled. I groaned and let my head fall back.

"We can't drink dirty fish water," I sighed, feeling defeated.

"Nope," she agreed.

"Wait, hold on!" I exclaimed, climbing to my feet. I launched myself back at my bag and pulled out the water bottle I had in there. I held it up and Jade sat up at the sight of it. She plucked it from my hand and shook it.

"There's like one swallow left," she pointed out.

"We'll have to share it," I told her. She tipped it upside down and waited for all the droplets to collect at the bottom.

"It's only a capful," she told me, holding it out so I could see.

"Then we share a capful," I accepted. She just nodded and carefully opened it. She dropped the bottle and held up the cap to me. I gave her a look but she just held it there. Did she really want me to go first? Wow. I offered a weak smile and took it from her.

"Ok. We each get one tongue dip and we take turns," I explained. She just nodded. I brought it up to take my turn.

"Oh, that's refreshing," I sighed, passing it to her. She took it and then walked away. I half thought she was going to drink it all but she was only going to sit down. I hesitantly followed to sit next to her. She took her turn then returned it to me. We passed it between us, no words spoken as we tried to enjoy the last bit of water we had.

"It's empty," Jade stated when we had finally run out. She threw the cap and then fell over on her back, curling up on the couch behind me. I had never seen her look that vulnerable since the time I had to help her get back together with Beck. I rested my elbows on my thighs and held my head in my hands.

"Ok, something's dripping on me," Jade suddenly announced, holding a hand to her arm. I turned to look at her, confused. She glanced up so I reached out to see if something really was dripping on her, but there was nothing.

"Nothing's dripping," I told her. She sat up with a panicked expression.

"Yes. Look. On my arm," she insisted, touching her inner forearm and then holding it out for me to look at it. Without thinking I held her arm in one hand and ran a finger over her pale skin with the other, right over her tattoo. It was then I understood.

"See? And on my forehead. What's going on? What's happening?!" she continued, her voice strained. I let go of her arm with a sigh.

"You're sweating," I told her as simply as I could. She shook her head.

"No. No I'm not. I don't sweat! I am not sweating!" she denied, slamming her hand down on the couch with every sentence she spoke.

"Look at me," I began, holding her arms.

"No!" she yelled, trying to pull away, but I just held on.

"Look at me!" I repeated, raising my voice.

"What!" she screamed. I held her hands tighter, taking in her features which looked close to tears. She was outright panicking now.

"You're sweating," I concluded, looking her right in the eyes. She squeaked and I let her go. She slowly slid from the couch in despair and fell to the floor, sniffling.

"We-we gotta get out of here," she stammered.

"Yeah. Thank you. Catherine Obvious," I replied, falling back to slump into the couch. Despite her little breakdown it was hard to be sympathetic right now. She lifted her head, her breakdown screeching to a halt.

"What?" she asked, her voice steady again.

"I said thank you Catherine Obvious," I repeated.

"Did you say Catherine Obvious?" she questioned, looking back at me. I nodded.

"It's Captain Obvious," she stated seriously, pushing herself up to wipe at her face and then sit down next to me on the couch.

"Huh?" I replied, feeling like I was missing something.

"The expression is _Captain_ Obvious," she clarified, eyes narrowed at me without a trace of her earlier vulnerability. **Well**, it looked like someone was feeling better. I sat there, almost at a loss for words, before replying.

"It's not Catherine?" I asked just to make sure.

"No. Who would Catherine be?" she responded, looking at me like I was an idiot. It's kind of how I felt now.

"Catherine can be a captain," I told her, my voice breaking. What did it matter anyway? Jade shook her head and slouched down next to me, our arms touching. Our energy had left us flailing into silence again which we embraced for the time being.

**~Jade~**

It was starting to get stupidly hot with Vega so close to me so I got up, stripped down to my bikini top, laid on the bed, and then stretched out. I closed my eyes in hopes that I would just sleep through the rest of this misfortune. It was quiet again, but then minutes later I heard Vega get up. She plopped down by my feet, her own top tied so that it stayed hiked up her torso, and just let herself fall. I tried not to think too much about her left arm draped over my leg. Why couldn't she just keep to herself? It was getting hot again.

"I've never been this thirsty," I felt the need to comment. Vega shifted a little, just enough to turn her head and look at me with half open eyes.

"For the first time in my life, my tongue, isn't moist," she replied, lifting a hand to pinch it between her fingers. I held my hands to my face and then dropped them to my sides.

"What do we do?" Vega wondered once again.

"I dunno," I answered. She stared at the ceiling and I did the same. After a few minutes she began to sing that song that got her into Hollywood Arts. It was slow and forced but she was making an effort. I joined her, trying to get my mind off the heat, and the fatigue, and the thirst, and everything else.

"'Cause you know that if you live in your imag-" we sung together, only for the door to swing open, startling us.

"Hey!" Cat greeted with a flourish. She paused and then looked around.

"Where is everyone?" she wondered.

"Cat!" Vega and I both screamed at the top of our lungs. I was halfway between wanting to strangle her and praise her, so when I jumped to my feet, I wasn't surprised when she squeaked and ran for it. Vega was right behind me when we burst from the confines of the RV and into fresh air. Vega held her arms to the sky and I fell against the RV, taking in big gulps of air. Vega then ran and grabbed Cat in a big hug. I pushed off the RV and ran for the cooler in the bed of the truck, throwing aside the top to get to the water inside. I grabbed two and then rushed back to toss one to Vega now that she released Cat. I chugged my own water and Vega did the same.

"Wow, you guys really miss me!" Cat exclaimed happily. She looked from Vega then to me.

"Ew, Jade, you're all sweaty," she pointed out. I snarled and wiped at my arms.

"Never speak of it!" I yelled at her, the full force of my glare leveled on her now that I was hydrated and feeling better. She took a step back and I let the satisfaction of scaring her make me feel even better. Vega came up to rest a hand on my shoulder. I looked at her, ready to tell her off too, but her soft smile of relief made me stop.

"What happened? Where are the others?" Cat asked us.

"We left to set up," Vega began after a gulp of water.

"We had to come back," I continued.

"But then we got trapped in there!" Vega finished, pointing at the RV.

"Hope you had a nice pee," I growled at her, drinking the rest of my water.

"Trapped? Why didn't you guys just open the door?" she wondered.

"Gee, why didn't we think of that? Oh, maybe because there's a gigantic RV parked right-" I began to rant with a gesture at the space next to Beck's RV which was now empty. Vega looked around.

"I guess they left and we didn't even know," she said, her hand dropping from my shoulder.

"Who cares? It's over," I stated, going to grab another bottle of water, this time to rinse off the sweat from my arms. I shuddered at the thought of sweating. Never again.

"It's alright. Come on guys, it's only…four thirty, and there's a large Pacific Ocean right over there!" Vega stated happily.

"Let's enjoy that ocean!" Cat chimed in. I agreed with a fist pump and ran with them back out to the sand, and beyond it, the ocean. Maybe I'll just get my feet wet. We met back up with the others who didn't even look worried that we were gone. I yanked Beck aside, glaring daggers at him.

"What?" he questioned, truly confused.

"What? **What**? Really? That's all you say is **what**?" I hissed at him.

"Uh…" he tried to say but nothing came out.

"Did you even wonder why we were gone so long?" I demanded.

"Well, I had thought…but I guess not…um, what's the problem here?" he replied, confused. I was sure my fair skin was turning red with my anger.

"The problem is that because of your little attempt to get me and Vega alone, something I didn't even want or I would have easily done it myself, we ended up trapped in that death box!" I shouted at him, glancing over his shoulder to make sure none of our friends heard me. They were busy listening to Vega no doubt recounting what happened.

"I'm sorry. I didn't look for you because I thought it went well," he murmured, scratching at the back of his head. I simmered down a little at his honesty and nodded, hands on my hips.

"Yeah, well, it didn't," I grumbled.

"How did you get trapped anyway?" he wondered.

"A huge RV parked so close that we couldn't get the door open," I muttered. He smiled and I knew he was holding back a laugh.

"Watch it," I warned him. He raised his hands, placating.

"Where was Cat? I had assumed she must have been with you guys or something when I realized just how long she was missing," he said.

"She must have gotten distracted. Figures," I replied. He nodded.

"I really am sorry," he repeated.

"Forget it. Let's just enjoy the rest of the day that we have left to us," I told him, brushing past him to walk to the water. He didn't follow right next to me, and I wondered why until I looked up from my feet traveling over sand to see that Vega was walking next to me instead.

"Is this something else we never speak about?" she pondered, glancing at me. I thought of the time she brushed my bruised face, throwing dart together, crying in her living room, kissing her cheek, helping her more than I would like, catching her when she tripped and fell on me, teaming up, all her touching a few days before to check if I was sweating, and then the feeling of her holding my arm while her finger traced over my forearm earlier. Yeah, maybe not all of it.

"Just the sweating part. The rest can be a perfect story to complain about since I was stuck with you of all people," I responded seriously, if with a slight hint of playful teasing. After all, I didn't want her to get too comfortable. She may be the only one besides Beck to see me at my weakest but that didn't mean I was going to suddenly change how I treated her. It would take more than that and I still wasn't ready to open up. She chuckled but agreed with a nod.

"Ok," she responded. We kept walking towards the water and I stopped just before the water retreated again to take off my sandals. I kicked them back then took one step into the last bit of waves so that it barely washed over my feet. Vega had kicked off her own sandals where I had and walked out a little farther before realizing that I had stopped. She backtracked to stand in front of me.

"You aren't going to get at least a **little** closer?" she taunted, smirking. I raised a brow at her but didn't take the obvious bait.

"Aw, come on, Jade. Just a little," she tried again, this time by just being her genuine self. It was a little harder to ignore, but I managed. She sighed, and I thought she had given up and I won yet again, but then I felt her touch. Whether it was intentional or not, her hand brushed my hip on its way to grip my arm lightly. I glanced at her and tried to ignore the brilliant way the sun made her look at this angle. Ugh, stop. I grimaced but didn't pull away.

"I'll let you push me in the water if you get in as deep as your knees," she negotiated. I rolled my eyes but nodded. She cheered and then pulled me forward. As soon as I felt the water rise to my knees I pulled away from her and then shoved her into the high waves. Her arms pin-wheeled and then she lost her footing. The wave scooped her up, breaking her fall, and then retreated to leave her soaking in the shifting sand. I laughed at her and she joined in, no worse for wear. The next wave knocked her over as she was getting up, making me lose my breath from laughing so hard. But it cost me. This one arched higher and reached my thighs. I hastily ran for shore, leaving behind Vega who was on her feet and laughing at me now. Damn Vega. She still looked good as a sopping wet dog with the sun shining on her like that. Despite what happened today, I couldn't help but feel that Beck still got what he wanted. This situation refused to get any easier, but I wasn't giving up just yet.


	9. Wi-Fi in The Sky

**~Tori~**

It was nice to have a break from the everyday grind but I didn't know if it counted when I spent that time off with Trina. Over the weekend we had gone to visit our aunt. We were on our way back, having taken a plane. Now that I had my little break it was straight back to work because there was a script I still had to finish. I was in a group with Andre, Cat, and Beck. It was a free write so we were open to whatever. I just hoped that when we worked on it they would pay attention. They weren't known to stay serious for long. Even Beck could get sidetracked, and it wasn't always because of Jade. In fact, Jade might be the most level headed of us in a way. She had her odd moments but for the most part her downfall to distraction only came when she hit the breaking point of her tolerance. Was it strange that I was starting to understand her more and more? I kept noticing new things about her. Maybe I was paying **too much** attention to her? Hmm…I should just occupy myself with my book before I overanalyze anything. I pulled it out and got comfortable, opening it to where I left off and holding it in one hand while taking occasional sips of water with the other. It wasn't long when Trina interrupted the quiet between us. She had been busy eating but not even that kept her from talking.

"Hey. Tori," she mumbled. I set my book down, hoping she'd stop calling me.

"Hey," she said again. I looked over at her.

"What?" I answered.

"Is this chicken?" she wondered, holding a fork with a piece of her food on it in front of my face. I leaned in to sniff at it.

"I think it might be pineapple," I told her, leaning one way then the other to try and get a good look at it.

"Or part of a thumb," I tacked on. Trina tilted it towards her, studying it in concern before setting it aside.

"Ugh, I can't eat airplane food. Too gross," she complained, throwing all the food, or what passed as food, on the tray. She then moved it all onto the foldout table in front of me. I frowned, holding my book to my chest.

"Why is this now on my tray table?" I questioned her.

"'Cause I'm done with it," she replied easily.

"I don't care if you're done with it. Keep your garbage on-" I tried to tell her, but the kid behind us had started kicking the back of Trina's seat again and she was too busy dealing with him to hear so I went back to my book after setting aside my empty glass.

"Hey! Hey, Kid! I told you to stop kicking my seat!" she said, twisting in her seat to look over it at him.

"So," the kid replied, kicking at it again.

"Stop that!" Trina demanded.

"You're not the queen of this plane," he retorted. And here we go again. How did she manage to pick fights with children? I glanced at her just as she climbed onto her seat to address the kid's dad.

"Excuse me. Will you please do something about your son?" she asked him. The guy sighed heavily.

"Will you stop kicking her seat?" he said to his son tiredly. I bet he wasn't even looking at the kid.

"No," the kid responded in complete refusal. It would have been funny if my book hadn't just gotten good.

"Some people are so rude!" Trina told me when I happened to look up.

"I know," I replied with a nod, reaching over to pick up the napkin she threw on her plate to wave it at her before dropping it. She looked away out the window and crossed her arms. Minutes later her mess was cleaned up and then an announcement came on. I listened carefully, my brows furrowing with slight worry when I heard the time we would be landing.

"Wait, what time did he say?" I questioned, just to make sure I heard right.

"Eleven fourteen," Trina answered, barely looking at me before turning back to the window. I pulled out my phone to check the time.

"Oh, great. Three and a half hours late," I remarked.

"Why do you care?" Trina asked.

"I'm supposed to meet Andre, Beck, and Cat to write a script for class. It's due in the morning," I told her, already trying to come up with a way to get it done on time.

"What teacher?" she questioned.

"Gradstein," I replied.

"Ooh, he's tough," she groaned, reminding me that, yeah, I better get this script done.

"No chiz," I agreed, eyes still on my phone.

"What is chiz anyway?" she inquired.

"Andre thinks it's a German sausage," I said, looking away from my phone to see her looking at me like she didn't quite believe that. I put away my book and pulled out my laptop then set it out on the tray table. I turned to ask the flight attendant if the plane had Wi-Fi. She told me it didn't but said it had wireless internet service. It was the same thing! I told her that too but she told me not to give her attitude. What? Instead of making a fuss I held my tongue and she walked away. I never felt the need to snap back at someone as I did now. I was probably just tired. And I should probably stop spending so much time around Jade. Now **there** was attitude. I rolled my eyes and turned to my freshly booted up laptop. I logged into The Slap.

"What are you doing?" Trina wondered.

"I'm gonna see if Andre's online so we can work over video chat," I answered, navigating the page.

"Oh, smart. Maybe you guys can, uh…" she began but stopped when the kid behind us started up once more. She quickly turned around.

"Did you just kick my seat again?" she demanded.

"Why don't you ask your butt," he replied, going back to kicking. Trina huffed out a breath and then climbed up on her chair.

"Look, if you don't knock it off I'm gonna tell the flight attendant," she threatened.

"Ooh, you're a scary witch," she spat. That made me look up from the computer screen and in their direction. That kid was mean.

"I wish I was a witch 'cause I would take my broomstick and I would-" she growled, but I cut in before she could finish what she was going to say.

"Trina, sit!" I commanded, turning to shoot her a stern look. She glanced at me with her teeth visibly clenched but slowly complied. Now that that situation was averted I returned to my own problem with a calming sigh.

"Oh good. Andre's online," I remarked. Well at least there was that.

"I need some more air," Trina grumbled, reaching up to mess with the controls over our heads. My eyes fell to the pimple under her arm which I decided to point out. It was petty and certain to get back at her for making this flight harder than it should be, but that's what sisters were for. She quickly dropped her arm to cover it and demanded not to talk about it. I only shrugged, internally satisfied, and went back to contacting Andre. With a click and answered request a window popped open to show Andre's smiling face.

"_Tori Vega, what's up?"_

"Hey, I'm on the plane," I replied, gesturing with two hands at my surroundings.

"_You're __**on**__ the plane? Well if I were you I'd get __**in**__ the plane!"_

He laughed at his joke but I didn't. He saw that I didn't find it funny and swiftly sobered.

"_So you're on the plane."_

"And I'm not going to land until after eleven," I told him.

"_Oh, but we gotta write that script for class."_

"I know. Wanna do it over video chat?" I suggested.

"_Yeah, sure. I'll text Cat and Beck and tell 'em to get online."_

"Cool," I replied, smiling. Things were starting to look up.

"Will you pop this for me?" Trina suddenly asked, lifting her arm and pointing at the pimple.

"No," I replied. I think I spoke too soon.

"I let you borrow my green sweater last week," she pointed out like I had to repay her.

"And that means I should pop your pit pimple?" I responded, disgusted. Andre made a face.

"Yes! We're sisters! If you had a pit pimple I'd- quit kicking my seat!" she began only to scream at the kid again.

"Quit kicking my seat," he mocked with another kick. Trina looked offended and defenseless. I let her deal with it. I had to get my work done. But of course, it was not to be, because the flight attendant came by with what she called dessert. Trina asked what it was and not even the flight attendant knew. She said it could be pudding but looking at it didn't make me think so. She walked away and Trina complained of-wait, **fur** on it? Ew. Yet…

"Just like your pimple," I teased, needing a laugh. Trina looked at me with wide, incredulous, eyes. Andre looked so uncomfortable but I was having fun at Trina's expense. Yep. Jade's influence was definitely there and it was helping me get back at Trina. I laughed. I held some small talk with Andre until we could get a hold of Cat and Beck. Out the small window to my left it was starting to get dark. Andre called me back from giving my sister a weird look as she commented on the length of the hairs she plucked off her face. I asked if he got a hold of our friends and his answer was positive.

"Nice. Where are you?" I asked him, trying to get a good look at the background.

"_At my grandma's house."_

"Why are you at your grandma's?" I asked next.

"_She called me and said she was scared because the numbers kept changing on her digital clock."_

"Isn't that what clocks do?" I replied, confused and just a tad concerned.

"_All I know is when I got here she was hiding under her bed."_

"Did you get her out?" I inquired. Hm, odd.

"_Uh huh. But I had to use butter."_

Ok, that was just, no. A chime went off and Andre set aside the water bottle he had taken a drink from.

"Oh, Cat's on."

"Yep, I see. Let me invite her," I replied, moving to add her to the conversation.

"Hey, are you going to eat your pudding?" Trina questioned me.

"You **ate** yours?" I replied with a grimace.

"Yeah, I just scraped the fur right off the top. It wasn't bad," she told me. I exhaled and then picked up the small cup to hand it to her.

"Go nuts," I told her, glad to get rid of it.

"_Hi!"_

Cat had just showed up which arranged the two of them side by side on the screen.

"_What's up little red?"_

"Hey Cat," I greeted.

"_(Andre!) One sec. What's up grandma? (The numbers on my clock changed again!) It's a clock grandma. The numbers are supposed to change. (What happened to my butter?) I'll go to the store tomorrow and get you some more butter."_

I watched Andre talk to his twitchy grandmother then she ran off with a scream along with something breaking. The abrupt sound made me jump in my seat. I knew Andre's grandma could be a little…strange. But seeing it was way different than hearing about it.

"_What was that?"_

"_My grandmother just screamed."_

"Why? What happened?" I asked, worried for both him and her.

"_I dunno. I think she saw herself in the mirror. (Andre! There's another me on the wall!) It's ok grandma! Just introduce yourself! I'm sure she's nice!"_

I raised a brow at the situation. I could see where Andre got his patience from. And I thought Trina was too much.

"_Beck's online."_

I saw the notification a second after Cat announced it.

"Requesting…" I said, moving to do so.

"Ow!" Trina screamed.

"What?" I inquired, getting a little annoyed by her now.

"That rotten kid behind me kicked my seat again and made me poke my eye," she explained. She had been doing her makeup for the past several minutes after that first plucked hair.

"I didn't kick your seat," the kid piped up.

"You did too!" Trina spat.

"How's your pit zit?" the kid taunted in return. Wow, that kid was gonna get it. Trina exchanged a look with me then threw herself over the seat.

"That tears it!" she snarled. I yelled at her until I could get her to let the kid go and sit back down.

"He's a little boy!" I shouted at her.

"Yeah, and I'm about to put him into a little hospital!" she retorted, turning to glare at the kid. There wasn't much else I could do so I let it go to turn back to my computer where Beck popped up. The video feeds shifted so that Andre and Cat were on top of Beck.

"_You requested my face?"_

Beck greeted us while relaxing with a small dog he held in his arms and petted.

"_Hey man!"_

"Hi," I greeted with a wave.

"_Hey Beck!"_

"Is that a dog with you?" I asked him.

"_Aw, look at the puppy."_

"_He's cute, huh?"_

Beck held the dog up and we all nodded.

"So cute," I agreed.

"_Is he yours?"_

"_Nah, I'm watching him for my neighbor while she's at her cheerleading practice."_

The answer alone made us all go quiet for just a second. I felt like I was the only one wondering what Jade thought about that.

"_You live next door to a cheerleader?"_

Andre sounded incredulous and a little put out.

"_I do."_

"_Figures. I live next to a one legged old man who throws lemons at me."_

I couldn't help but smile at that. Poor Andre.

"_So, what's up?"_

Andre answered him before I could.

"_Tori's plane is late."_

"I don't get in until almost midnight," I added.

"_But we gotta write the script for Gradstein's class."_

Andre answered him again.

"_Yeah, so we're gonna do it here, over video chat."_

"_Oh, sounds good."_

Beck leaned over to set the puppy down.

"Alight, I will type," I volunteered. Andre asked Cat to read the assignment while we all listened and I arranged my screen so that all the videos fit plus the document. The guys sounded all for it and I asked for any ideas but Cat quickly changed that. She wanted to tell a joke, and she did, but none of us reacted to it. She didn't even know why the punchline should be funny. Only after I explained it to her did she laugh harder. But in a second she was serious again. Hopefully this was as off topic as we were going to get. I tried to get it started again but then Robbie was requesting to join our chat. Cat tried to open with the joke she had just told but Robbie quickly shot it down, to Cat's dismay.

She had already told him. We tried to tell him how busy we were but he insisted, then went on to tell us about some ridiculous problem he had with Rex. Andre excused himself to get a drink and Beck took it upon himself to politely tell Robbie to go. I didn't give him any time to say more and closed his window. Andre came back and we got started again. There was only so far we advanced before Cat lost interest again. I was stuck between trying to be firm with her but being nice about it. Cat was a sensitive soul, but I was starting to get a little low on patience. Andre snapped her out of it and she apologized. Ok, we could do this. Just, no more distractions. But of course, there was another. I groaned when Jade requested to join the chat. We weren't going to get anywhere at this rate.

**~Jade~**

I had spent most of the day lost to my own thoughts after waking up this morning from a dream I just couldn't believe had happened. I ran a hand through my hair and fell back on the bed. I remembered it vaguely but certain parts seemed to be seared into my brain. It had taken place that day when we went to the beach. Vega and I were trapped in the RV. The thought of her, even if she was covered in sweat, up against me was unnerving. Instead of laying at my feet she laid next to me, asking me if being that close was fine. It was too damn hot, and I told her so, but somehow she turned it around on me, teasing that I had called her hot. Yeah, as if I'd admit that out loud. But then she turned my head with a hand on my chin so that I was looking at her. I swear, I thought she was going to kiss me, but then she gave me that rare smirk of hers and hopped off the bed. I assumed the rest happened as it did but I picked up on the time Vega and I walked down to the water. Except, she suddenly wasn't wearing her top and shorts. She was in a bikini, and instead of sweat, she was soaked having got up after being pushed in the water. The water ran off her body, the sun shining down on her. She laughed and the sound made me smile. Unlike the real thing, I had no will to hold it back. I stepped forward and she did too, seeming to know what was going to happen.

Her hands rested on my shoulders and mine went to her hips. I didn't even care that she was drenched in sea water. I leaned in, our lips almost touching, but that was when I was torn from the dream by a highly annoying yapping. It was my step-mother's stupid dog. I could sleep through almost any noise, but unfortunately not that. Too annoying. I groaned and threw my arm over my eyes then tried to fall back asleep but it was useless. Dang it! So I ended up spending the day trying to reason with myself. I tried writing, listening to music, and anything else that could make dealing with it easier. Nothing worked. I texted Beck to see if he would come over so we could hang out. Talking to him was a little irritating but it was better than being alone with my thoughts. He said he would be over later, but he wasn't here. I tried calling him but he didn't answer. I left him a slightly peeved voicemail then jumped on The Slap to kill some time, sitting back in my favorite chair in the corner. A little exploring later I saw that he was logged in. What the heck was he doing wasting time online when he was supposed to be here? He was currently on video chat with Andre, Cat, and Vega. Just seeing her name made me hesitate, because if I joined the chat I would be seeing her face, but I sent a request anyway. As soon as I was admitted my eyes fell on Beck.

"_Hey look, we're doing this project that's due tomorrow morning so, uh-"_

I didn't give him any more time to explain. I didn't care.

"Where've you been?" I demanded, trying to remain calm.

"_Home. Why?"_

"I left you a voicemail and you haven't called me back," I told him.

"_I'm doing homework."_

His reply was so…so uncaring. Really? He would put homework over me? I needed him to be here to talk me through this. And where was he? Doing homework! I briefly realized that I was starting to get too worked up but there was no settling down now.

"Oh, so you wanna break up with me?" I questioned, throwing it out there in a way I knew he would understand. It was my way of asking him if he was done covering for me and he knew it.

"_What? No. Why would you think that I'd want to break up with you?"_

"Why do you have that animal?" I inquired, brows creasing. It was a small dog, just like that yap box. My scowl grew. Beck glanced down at it.

"_My neighbor's dog."_

"_His neighbor the __**cheerleader**__."_

Was Andre trying to wazz me off even more? What did he mean, the cheerleader?

"Cheerleader?" I repeated, seconds from exploding on him. Who was this chick and why did he have her dog? That's probably the real reason he isn't here now. He was probably getting all comfortable with this chick and forgot that I needed him. That was just great.

"_Why? Why would you say that?"_

Yeah, he knew what was coming now and I was going to give it to him.

"_Sorry."_

"_You know what cheerleaders have? Pep."_

I rolled my eyes at Cat.

"_Pep?"_

I let my gaze land on Vega for only a second.

"_Did she say pep?"_

I wasn't going to let them change the subject.

"Why are **you** doing favors for a cheerleader and what is **she** doing for **you**?" I questioned suspiciously. I had to know exactly why he hadn't been here, and if I had to force it out of him in front of our friends, I would.

"_It's not what you think. She's just-"_

"I'm coming over there," I decided, unable to wait around for him to try and divert me.

"_N-no. No, don't-"_

I already slammed my laptop shut. I almost threw it aside but managed to toss it on my bed at the last minute. I then headed out the door, intent on speeding over there and forcing him to answer me properly. That project be damned.

**~Tori~**

When did I become the mature one? After Jade logged off Cat was back to getting distracted by the effects. Andre was next then Beck. Beck of all people! I was starting to get stressed out now. I tried and failed to get them to stay on track. Andre didn't even back me up this time. On top of that the kid behind us managed to get Trina yelling and then they were outright screaming at each other. Now we barely had anything done and the cacophony of sound was practically giving me a headache. This was hopeless!

* * *

I'm 30,000 feet

UP in the air - doin' homework

HELLLP!

Mood = Flightly

* * *

Did I mention that this was hopeless yet? Because it was. It seemed that every sentence I typed was followed by a distraction. To make matters worse, Trina started dancing in her seat like a weirdo and she didn't stop until I yanked out one of her earbuds so that I could order her to stop. Then she had the audacity to look at me like **I** was the rude one! I took a deep breath and let it slowly before focusing again. Andre came up with the next line and Beck helped with spelling. Good, good. Finally. I was about to share the next line I came up with but Cat was at it again, this time turning her face into a cherry pie. I couldn't help it. In hindsight, I should have exercised better control of my anger, but darn it, I just wanted to get this done! Cat ended up crying and signing off when I blew up on her. I tried to apologize for my frustration but it didn't work. Now it was only Andre, Beck, and I. Trina explained that I had to be careful with people's feelings, and yet she verbally tore the kid's head off when he kicked at her seat again.

That kid really knew his way around a comeback. It was enough to make Andre, Beck, and I snicker at the burn. When Trina questioned the dad he excused himself to wazz with Trina yelling after him. Robbie was back to bother us again when we started back up but I declined his request. Then Trina had to wazz which she took care of by way of the first class lavatory. She wasn't allowed to but she just pushed me out of the way, disturbing the guys by shaking her butt in their faces. I didn't think it could get any worse but then the kid behind us told me he thought Trina was a freak, which I could accept, but then he called her hot. That, well, that actually freaked me out. By the look on Andre and Beck's faces, they felt the same way. And then the kid called me hotter! I sat up and shoved him back into his seat with a hand on his face. Andre took the time to tease me but I warned him not to. Beck sat there smiling until there was a banging sound and he rolled his eyes. It looked like Jade had finally made it over.

**~Jade~**

I slammed my fist on the door of Beck's RV as hard as I could. It served to release some of my anger on something other than the yap box at home, Beck, or maybe even that cheerleader if I caught her anywhere near Beck. Why wasn't he answering?

"Open the door!" I yelled, hitting it a few more times.

"I'm busy working on a project!" Beck shouted back at me. I growled.

"I need to talk to you!" I replied, making sure to add a hint of a threat to my voice. I hit his door again.

"Sorry, door's locked!" he called. Ha, sure, like that was going to stop me. I lifted my heavy boot clad foot and kicked out. I managed to break the handle off and destroyed the measly lock. I then threw the door open to enter. I pulled it closed behind me even though it couldn't shut all the way anymore.

"Now it's not locked," Beck commented. I could hear his eye roll in the tone of his voice as I stomped over.

"_She has a key?"_

That was Vega asking. Why didn't she mind her own business?

"No, she has a foot," Beck corrected. Yeah, my foot, which I was tempted to use on him next. I stopped to stand by him with my hands on my hips.

"What is going on?" I inquired, keeping my voice as steady as possible, playing at calm. He leaned back to look at me.

"You just **kicked** my door open," he replied.

"Put the dog down and tell me about this cheerleader chick who lives next door," I demanded, pointing at the fur ball.

"I'm not gonna put the dog down," he denied. My posture stiffened.

"Oh, aren't you?" I responded.

"If you want to meet the cheerleader she'll be back any minute to pick up her dog," he offered. I didn't want to meet her. I didn't want to even see her face or I might just go back on not scaring her away for good. But then I decided that I wasn't going anywhere so I might as well.

"Then I'll wait for her," I said, taking a seat at the very edge of his bed. I ignored that certain part of the dream it triggered and crossed my arms.

"Whatever you want," he mumbled, turning back to his laptop. I could see the screen over his shoulder and averted my eyes so that I couldn't see Vega.

"_Ok, can we get back to writing the script now?"_

She sounded a little on edge. Maybe I wasn't the only one stressing today. But if she was trying to get anything done with our group of friends then I wasn't surprised. Huh, and it looked like Cat was gone. She probably couldn't take the heat. When Vega was mad she was almost as much of a raging bull as I was.

"_Yeah, let's get this done."_

"Okay. Boy's in the closet, face being eaten, mom walks in and-" Beck began when a notification chime interjected.

"_Another video chat request?!"_

I had to allow a brow to raise at the level of exasperation in Vega's voice. I would love to see the next person she blew up on because I was pretty sure the last one had been Cat.

"_Who is it now?"_

Vega answered Andre, stumping them all. I haven't heard of such a person either but I just sat back and listened while picking at my nail polish so that it didn't seem like I was as interested as I really was. Misfortune on anyone was my kind of entertainment. It turned out to be Robbie under a false name. He must have bugged them before if they were avoiding him. I smirked a little at the name choice. I had to agree with Rex there. It did say a lot about him. I listened as he ranted, playing with my scissors now. He was abruptly cut off and I fought the urge to see what happened for myself.

"What happened to Robbie?" Beck asked.

"_My finger."_

And Vega's frustration earned her another half point. I didn't give her full points. That would just add up too fast…into the negatives, of course. A disgusted sound from Beck made me look up. The talentless Vega's backside was not what I expected to lay eyes on. Before my thoughts could stray to the youngest Vega's behind I brought my eyes back to my scissors.

"_Will you stop wiggling your butt in my friends' faces?!"_

So she's done it before. I listened as the two exchanged words, learning that talentless Vega ran into Perez Hilton and stole his camera, to Vega's shock. The following plan that explained why it was stolen was a diluted attempt at fame. I shook my head. When is it ever not?

"_Whatever happened to getting famous by having talent?"_

"_Talent has nothing to do with being famous!"_

I rolled my eyes at that. Of course she would think that way. She **had** no talent and needed a reason to explain it away. Another notification chimed and Vega accepted when Andre noticed it was Sinjin. I ignored them for the most part but happened to look up when I felt like shooting a glare at the back of Beck's head. That was when I noticed something.

"Hey, wait a minute…" I mumbled, getting up and sitting closer so that I could get a better look.

"Sinjin," I addressed him. He zoomed in.

"_Hi Jade."_

Creep. I wanted to shudder at the tone of his voice but shook off the disgusted feeling to continue.

"Where did you get that lamp?" I questioned. He looked behind him at it.

"_Um, at the lamp store."_

"It looks exactly like the lamp I have in my den at home," I said, pointing my scissors at him with every word I said.

"_Oh. Weird."_

His voice was forced and his eyes widened. Suddenly, I was a mix of disturbed and angry.

"Are you in my house?!" I shouted, a little distressed now with the knowledge that he somehow got into my house. He jumped from the chair he sat in to run for it.

"Take your computer with you!" I yelled.

"_Please don't tell my mother!"_

He picked up his computer so that the camera panned across the room before he shut it off. I sneered and got up to put distance between Beck and I again.

"_Alright. We aren't accepting anymore chat requests, ok?"_

"_Good."_

"Agreed," Beck added.

"_(Andre! Stop talking to yourself!) Grandma, I'm not talking to myself. I'm talking to Tori and Beck. (That's a lie! They're not here!) I know that. I'm talking to 'em online, see."_

"_Hi Mrs. Harris."_

"How ya doin'," Beck greeted with a wave.

"_(I don't understand this!) Grandma!"_

There was a loud scream and then a crack. I looked up just in time to see Andre's grandmother punch the camera, breaking it. He tried to calm her but she wouldn't listen. Even Vega tried, but she screamed and threw another punch, making us all jump. The video feed cut out after that.

"Guess that just leaves you and me," Beck said, calm as ever and still petting that dog.

"And me," I spoke up, glaring at him. I couldn't believe I was sitting around here. I should just go. But then I couldn't get a hold of that cheerleader chick.

"_Let's just get an 'F' and be done with this."_

That wasn't like Vega at all. She must really be past her tolerance point. Come to think of it, so was I.

"Oh come on. We can finish the script ourselves," Beck encouraged her.

"_You really want to?"_

"Sure, why don't we just try to-" he started to answer when there was a knock at the door. Vega pulled the dirtiest look I had seen her make so far. I forced down the smile that almost appeared in favor of preparing myself. That must be the cheerleader.

"_Oh, now what? Is that your cheerleader friend?"_

I grinned knowingly at Beck who seemed to give me a look that warned me to relax but I was already scheming. I crossed my legs and clasped my hands on my lap.

"Come in!" he called.

"Yeah, **come in**!" I yelled, making sure to sound marginally threatening.

"Hi Beck!" a cheery, high, voice greeted him. I was seconds from turning on the chick when I saw that it was just a little girl. She was probably, like, nine years old. All the fight seemed to leave me, decompressing with my slight shock.

"Hi Ally," Beck said. The dog barked. The girl took a seat next to Beck.

"Jade, this is my next door neighbor, Ally," he introduced, voice painfully innocent as he looked back at me. I scowled but it loosened into a small frown. Now I was plain disappointed…and I didn't like that knowing smile on Vega's face.

"Ally, this is my girlfriend, Jade," he continued. She turned to look at me, a smile on her face.

"Nice to meet you!" she said. I couldn't do anything but wave. Boy did I jump the gun this time.

"Hello Ally," I forced out, tone as light as I could manage. She turned to Beck.

"Thanks for taking care of Sparkles," she said, taking back the dog.

"Any time kiddo," he replied. She leaned in close.

"Your girlfriend's pretty," she whispered.

"I know," Beck responded in the same way. Now I was really hating this.

"Bye," she said in farewell, getting up to leave.

"See ya," Beck answered. I barely gave her a glance before standing to walk over and sit next to him. I let a frown cover the small amount of guilt I felt at accusing him. I sighed and held my face in my hand. I didn't want to see that boyish grin of his. I knew he was amused with my inability to listen to him and then jump to conclusions, despite how I knew it irritated him.

"_Wow, Jade. Looks like you got some competition there."_

I did not need Vega's input on this. She should just butt out.

"You gonna say you're sorry?" Beck taunted, nudging me.

"You didn't tell me she was nine!" I retorted.

"You didn't give me a chance," he replied.

"Oh, don't try to turn this around on me," I countered. He tried to defend himself but I talked over him.

"You love making me jealous! Why do you push my buttons like that? You could have said she was nine and I wouldn't have gotten upset!" I said, raising my voice. In the background I could hear Vega trying to get our attention.

"_Could you guys fight later?"_

"Stay out of this Tori!" I yelled at her.

"_But I just need Beck to help me write the-"_

I slammed a finger down hard, ending the video chat. Beck ran a hand through his hair with a sigh.

"There, now where were we?" I said, turning to level a glare at Beck, my arms crossed.

"What did you need that got you so bent out of shape?" he asked, genuinely, but I could hear the agitation underneath. For a second I wasn't going to tell him. In fact, at that point I just wanted to get up and walk out. But no, I needed to talk to him. So, I sighed and allowed my anger to dissipate. Then I told him all about the dream I had.

**~Tori~**

I let out a long-suffering groan and fell back against my seat. I should have known this was going to happen.

"Now what are you gonna do?" Trina asked me, having seen the whole blowout.

"I, am going to finish writing the script myself," I decided, pushing myself into a second wind. I grabbed my phone to check the time.

"We have…sixty two minutes until we land and I'm sure if I type really fast I can get this done-" I muttered, my fingers already flying across the keyboard. It all came to a halt when someone came barging in, yelling. Trina shot to her feet with a gasp.

"Perez!" she shrieked, grunting when she hit her head from standing too quickly. I glanced up at the man towering over me to see that it really was him.

"Oh my god. You're Perez Hilton!" I exclaimed.

"You took my camera," he stated, looking at Trina with a hand on his hip. He did not look happy.

"No, no I didn't," Trina denied, clutching said device close to her.

"Yes, you did. It's in your hand!" he pointed out. Trina hid it behind her back.

"I'll give it back if you write about me," she bargained.

"No. It doesn't work that way. Give me back my camera," he denied.

"Oh come on!" she pleaded.

"Trina!" I scolded. The three of us began talking all at once. I was trying to talk sense into my sister, she was trying to tell her life story, and Perez just wanted his camera back. Then he lunged for it, pinning me to my seat, while he fought Trina for it. I was in the middle of freaking out that he was laying in my lap to do anything. He and Trina kept fighting and screaming over each other until he managed to get the camera back from her. She jumped over me, refusing to accept the turn of events, and tackled Perez where he had fallen on the floor of the aisle. The flight attendant watched on uselessly while he flipped her over his head and got to his feet. I tried to apologize to him but he just batted my hand away and made a run for it. Trina chased him and I called to her but she ignored me. With a groan I had no choice but to get up and chase after her before she did more than harass Perez Hilton. At this point I think we might end up getting escorted out by security when we land. What I wouldn't give to be working on that dumb project right now, or even in the middle of one of Jade and Beck's fights instead of here wrestling Trina to the ground. I might never want to fly with her again.


	10. Beck's Big Break

**Finally got Teen Nick on my TV so even though I own all the episodes I still like to watch them when they air. A marathon of Victorious came on for three hours. I was so happy. It made me want to add more to this seeing as most of the episodes were ones I already posted, so, here you go. Maybe I'll get the next one out some time soon too.**

* * *

**~Tori~**

I exited my last class before lunch and headed for The Asphalt Café. I didn't want to admit it but I was contemplating what could have possibly upset Jade that time she added to the mess that was our project. I eventually got it done. I stayed up to do it, getting no sleep, but we got a good enough grade. At least Andre, Cat, and Beck apologized for not being there to help due to the various reasons. Jade obviously didn't apologize. And here I thought, after all that happened between us, we could work past our differences, but we were back to butting heads like none of it ever happened. I still don't know what I did to deserve this treatment but I was always hopeful that I could befriend her. That was the only reason I put up with her.

I knew there was more to her than she showed so I would keep trying. Well, that and my need to be on everyone's good side. There was no such thing as too much friends. Jade made it awfully hard to do though. The little moments she showed convinced me that I could be her friend, but they were few and far between. I just had to keep trying I guess. I made it to Festus' truck and he greeted me happily. I ordered a turkey sandwich just the way I liked it only for Festus to tell me he only had burritos. So I shrugged and accepted that instead. He screamed into the truck for a burrito, something that confused me because I was sure he was the only one in there. I tried to peek inside when Andre rounded the corner and greeted me.

"What's shakin' bacon?" he asked me.

"Oh, they don't have bacon," I informed him with a nod.

"Just burritos," Festus confirmed. Andre looked at me and then up to Festus.

"Oh, then I'll take a burrito," Andre told him.

"One burrito!" Festus screamed into the truck again. Now Andre was confused.

"Who's he yelling to? He's in there by himself," he questioned. I shrugged and then leaned away as a bee flew too close at that moment. My hands swatted at the nuisance.

"Get away. Stupid bees," I grumbled.

"Don't even mention bees in front of me," Andre said with a sigh.

"Why, are you allergic?" I asked, not understanding why he sounded so put out.

"I don't know. I've never been stung by a bee. Not once in my whole life," he replied, an unhappy note to his voice.

"And why are you so upset about that?" I wondered, adjusting the strap of my bag over my shoulder. The last time I checked, it wasn't good to be stung by a bee. It hurt.

"'Cause I'm offended. I guess bees don't think I'm good enough for stingin'!" he complained, waving his hand at a bee flying around us. I smiled at his reasoning. Leave it to our friends to have the weirdest reasoning. It made for interesting days.

"I could stick you with a safety pin?" I offered, poking his stomach playfully.

"Nah, wouldn't be the same," he declined sadly. Festus spoke up then, telling us he had my sandwich ready. I took it in confusion.

"I thought you said you only had burritos?" I pointed out to him.

"What are you, a lawyer?" he asked me. I frowned but didn't answer. Our staff was weird too now that I thought about it. He handed Andre his burrito and we paid. Another bee flew by and I complained about getting too much bee attention to which Andre told me it must be nice. I raised an eyebrow at him and shook my head as we walked to our table.

"Hey, sit," Beck said, waving us over. Jade sat next to him, her sharp gaze flicking to him, me, and then down at her hand. She was busy tending to her thumb.

"Thanks," I replied, doing as he said even though I had a feeling Jade didn't want me there. Andre followed suit next to me. I had no choice but to take the seat by Jade, hoping she wouldn't pitch a fit. It was a futile hope.

"Ugh, I don't want them sitting here," she groaned, waving a frustrated hand at Beck. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, his way of telling her he didn't care what she thought. I had noticed that Beck was the only one to get Jade to do anything and most of the time it was with minimal effort on his part. Even when she put up a fuss he had a better chance than anyone to calm her down.

"You know, it's great that you're so open with your bitterness," I informed her. She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her thumb which she brought to her mouth.

"She's just grumpy because she was stung by a bee," Beck apologized. I gave Jade a half concerned half questioning look.

"See that! Everybody but me! Come on bees, what's a guy gotta do to get stung?" Andre yelled at the sky, looking around for a bee. Jade and Beck looked at him like he was crazy. Beck pulled out a few papers which caught my attention.

"Ooh, script pages?" I asked, reaching out to take them. It was the first time I saw Beck with script pages and I was interested to see what he was practicing for.

"Ah, ah, ah, not for you," he discouraged me, taking them back. Jade watched the interaction with a thoughtful expression I hoped wouldn't lead to anything bad. It wasn't like I was interested in Beck; even if that would have been the safer, saner, choice out of the two. I was reluctant to let him take them back but I gave in easy enough when he disagreed.

"You auditioning for a play?" I asked him, trying to sate my curiosity through the use of words instead of actions.

"Sorta. It's a movie," he answered casually. My eyes widened. A movie script? Wow, that was the first actual movie script I had ever seen. Beck was so lucky and I was happy for him.

"That's so great. What movie?" I responded, amazed. Jade looked from me to Beck and then back to me. She didn't look at all happy by our interaction or my interest in what Beck was doing. She kept a straight face though and snatched my pickle as a way to feel better. I wasn't too sure about that but I felt like I had a pretty good grasp of how Jade worked by now. She didn't like it when I got too close to Beck. Again, I wasn't interested in him like that. He was a great guy but I was afraid to say it wasn't him I wanted to get close to.

"I'm taking your pickle," she stated, taking a bite out of it with a crunch, her eyes silently daring me to retaliate. Beck gave her a scolding glower but she didn't care. She shot me one of her fake smiles, receiving an annoyed eye roll from me in return. She was just being difficult as always and I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of conflict.

"So, a movie?" Andre spoke up, clearly trying to keep us on track. He was interested now too.

"It's called Miss Fire. It's about this woman cop who gets fired and then goes on this crazy rampage," Beck explained calmly. Jade sat leaning on the table with her elbow and continued to munch on the stolen pickle, uninterested in the topic at hand.

"That's so cool. Who plays the woman cop?" I asked, dragging my eyes away from her to look at Beck.

"Melinda Murrey," he responded, a hint of pride in his answer.

"Shut up!" Andre exclaimed, excited by the answer.

"You're going to star with Melinda Murrey in a movie?" I said just as excitedly.

"Well I'll be playing waiter number one and I'll only have two lines but that's only if I get the part," he said with a shrug.

"So where's the script? I want to read it," I continued with a bright smile. Jade's frown deepened slightly but I ignored it.

"Well you don't get the whole script until you get the part. They only give you a few pages to audition with," he explained, halting me in my tracks. I frowned at his answer. Our conversation was cut off by a girl walking by. She complained about a bee stinging her and Andre stood to yell at the insect as it zoomed away. Wow, he was really serious about this whole bee thing. We all shook our heads at his outburst. Lunch ended after that so we had to return to class. The day seemed to rush by; and before I knew it, I was home doing homework, getting something to eat, and then going to bed. The next morning only brought me back to the one class I reluctantly fought through. I hated it because I still couldn't play an instrument. After that class was over, I walked the halls and found Andre and Cat at the top of the main hall's stairs. They were busy watching some dancers below but they turned to me when I greeted them.

"Hey, hey, look what I got," I said, showing them my new choice of instrument in my hands.

"A piccolo?" Andre said, moving to follow me down the stairs. Cat tagged along next to us.

"It's my new instrument," I told him happily. I think I might actually be better at this than the French horn. Or, I hoped I was.

"I thought you were learning to play-" Cat began but I stopped her.

"It didn't work out," I protested, a little louder than intended. I didn't mean to be rude but I also didn't want the subject brought up. I knew I lacked skill in the instrument department and I didn't want to be reminded every time. We stepped off the stairs and turned toward the lockers on our left.

"Oh, you guys wanna hear Mary Had A Little Lamb?" I asked them, my voice cheerful again. They groaned uncertainly, making me frown. Hey, I might not be good but they could at least try to be supportive.

"I'm playing it," I told them anyway. They gave in with obvious reluctance and heavy sighs so I brought the instrument to my mouth. I didn't get far into the song when Andre shook his head and took it from me.

"No, no," he disagreed. I frowned at him.

"What? Was it that bad?" I asked, tilting my head down and looking at them hopelessly. I mean, I couldn't have been that bad right? They remained quiet for a couple second before Cat finally said something.

"I like your skirt," she pointed out helpfully. I wasn't any happier. I took the piccolo from Andre, my frown still persistent. That was when Robbie burst in the door, yelling at Rex as usual. If Rex wasn't the problem, something always was. There was even times when both Rex and something else were a problem and other times when Rex caused a problem. Bottom line was, there was always a problem with Robbie. Robbie stopped to stand by us. The conversation that followed was one that could only happen when he was involved.

It switched from Robbie explaining that he was having nightmares to Cat disagreeing with something he said. Then they launched into another ridiculous fight. I shook my head. This was such a common occurrence I had nothing to input on the matter. Andre watched in silence too. I eventually broke them up in exasperation and Robbie left shortly after. Andre walked off with a farewell and a wave. Cat and I gave him one in return before I turned to her. My own problem involving my instrumental skill concerned me and all I wanted was to hear that I did fine just this once. I had a feeling I wouldn't get my wish but I still tried.

"Was my piccolo playing really that bad?" I asked the redhead hopefully. Cat looked slightly sad but answered truthfully anyway.

"Yeah," she admitted, the word dragging out slowly. She brushed my hair comfortingly and then walked off. I watched her go, stuck in place. Even Cat thought I sucked. I tried to ignore the comment and began walking only to run into Beck.

"Mornin'," he greeted.

"Oh hey," I replied, my tone climbing back into higher spirits at the sound of his own content tone.

"So, you said you wanted to read the Miss Fire script…" he began, digging in his bag to pull out a bigger packet of paper than before.

"Yeah but, I thought you said they don't give actors the whole script unless…" I replied in confusion which quickly became excitement.

"You got the part!" I finished. He shushed me, looking around the hall to make sure no one heard. I pushed his shoulder playfully, congratulating him. I concluded that we should further celebrate piccolo style. I raised the instrument to my lips while Beck gave me a questioning stare. I began to play, hoping for the best, but he shook his head.

"No, no," he told me. He also took the offensive instrument away, but unlike Andre, he tucked it in his backpack for safekeeping. I dropped my hands, downcast. It seemed I was forever cursed to be talentless when it came to instruments. At least I still had my voice.

* * *

Acting class with Sikowitz.

YAY! Best acting teacher EVER.

Weird, but good weird :D

Mood = Creative

* * *

I stood on the stage in Sikowitz's class, waiting for our crazy teacher to give me something to do. As an example for what we were learning that day, he had me say the same dialog over and over except in different ways. My face remained questioning but I did as I was told.

**~Jade~**

I watched Sikowitz shout commands at Vega but I was a little more caught up in my thoughts. As much as I wanted to criticize and critique her; I was distracted. I was talking to Beck yesterday after school when he mentioned Vega's interest in his role in the movie he would be in. I knew he was only trying to tease me and get me to admit just how much that agitated me but I ignored him. My cold shoulder had no effect on him though so he went on to ask why I wasn't trying to keep Vega's attention away from him. I told him I wasn't worried, even though I kind of was, and then told him I was okay with it. Beck could have her for all I cared. It was better that way. I was halfway through thinking that Vega falling for Beck would be the best and worst thing that could happen when Sikowitz yelled his next command at Vega. His booming voice brought me back to the present.

"Like a robot!" he shouted with a dramatic point of his finger. She said the phrase over once again in what she believed to be like a robot but I shook my head. Stupid Vega, robots don't wear pants. Sikowitz had already done that trick on the rest of us.

"Wrong! Robots don't wear pants. It was a trick," he said happily. See, and now he tricked another student. That man was crazy but no one could resist liking him. He began to dance, making everyone smile at his antics.

"Tori, you may sit. I suggest using a chair," he told her, gesturing to the seats.

"I'll give it a shot," she agreed. She stepped off the stage to sit down by Cat and in front of Andre. Beck barged into the room after that. I looked up at him calmly while the rest of the class had their full attention on him. I knew he was going to make a big scene out of this whole 'being in a movie' thing. But he took pride in his acting so I had to allow him that. Here we go again.

"Sorry guys," he apologized.

"How was working on the movie?" Cat asked him happily. He looked at her but Sikowitz called on him, cutting off any answer he was going to give her. He turned to Sikowitz instead.

"You're late," he stated. Beck tried to explain but Sikowitz told him to continue, but like a robot. I smirked at this. I could tell Beck was a little irritated but he still listened. I glanced at Vega out of habit to see the girl smiling with amusement. My smirk dropped into a frown. What was she so happy about? Maybe it was just Vega being Vega. She was always happy about something or other anyways. Beck finished but Sikowitz told him he was wrong. He went on to explain that robots couldn't be sorry because they didn't feel regret and weren't capable of emotion. Then he demanded that the class needed to do robot research. Whatever that was. Everyone nodded even though they had no idea what he was talking about.

Sikowitz told Beck to sit so he walked off the stage and too the seat in front of me. I leaned forward to rest my chin in my palm and shot Beck a teasing grin, waiting for him to turn around and see it. He glanced back at me, and knowing I was rubbing in his failure just to mess with him, he smiled in return. He also knew I didn't mean it too harshly when it came to him. Sikowitz continued on with the lesson, making everyone turn their attention back to him. He tried to explain a concept but he didn't get far because he soon bored himself and asked Beck to tell us more about the movie instead. The class was immediately thrown into an uproar of excitement, eager to know what happened.

"Ok, well, um, my call time was-" he began, only for Sikowitz to leap forward and drag him on stage again before he could continue.

"My call time was this morning at five a.m.," he began to tell the class.

"Oh, that's early!" Cat stated, ever bubbly and happy. That comment was so redundant. I glanced at Cat and the rest of the class did too.

"Yeah, well, um, they did my hair and make-up and then the costume designer came to my dressing room-" he continued. I perked up at that sentence and stopped him, seeing a chance to tease him further. I was sure this question would be taken the wrong way but I said it anyway. That was the point. I was playing the part of girlfriend and he was my boyfriend so why not have a little fun with it? We often did this every once in a while to keep up appearances as well as for our own personal entertainment. It was time to play the jealous girlfriend once more, hopefully with better results. It was always more enjoyable when I managed to rile him up, which was rare. He made it a point to do it to me so really I was just returning the favor.

"So wait, the costume designer was in your dressing room?" I asked him, injecting acid in my tone. I could feel the class tense around me and held back my smile at their reaction.

"Uh huh," he replied calmly.

"Was she cute?" I spat.

"**He** was adorable," Beck answered, a small, knowing smile on his face. Damn, he always caught on fast. Sometimes, on days when he wasn't really paying attention our fake relationship status seemed real so he reacted like he was supposed to. Those were the few very amusing moments I looked for; the moments when he realized he took it too seriously and just shrugged it off with a playful punch to my shoulder. I smiled at him innocently and clasped my hands on my lap. Oh Beck, too bad I had my eye on that nuisance Vega because I was so sure I would have fallen for him sooner or later. He put up with me for so long and I appreciated it more than he would ever know.

**~Tori~**

Jade fell quiet and looked away, her smile replaced by a scowl again. That was the Jade I knew. The smile she displayed earlier was one that seemed a little on the playful side. I found myself wondering just what it was about Beck that Jade liked. He was many things every girl looked for in a guy but I had a feeling those same things weren't exactly what put him in a good light for her. I shifted my gaze from Jade to return to Beck, trying not to get lost in my thoughts.

"Did you meet Melinda Murrey?" Andre asked in awe.

"No, not yet," Beck told him with a shake of his head.

"I bet she's been stung by a bee," Andre intoned, pouting. I looked at him questioningly. Oh yeah, his bee obsession. I almost forgot about that.

"I wouldn't know, but you can ask her yourself," Beck replied. The class began muttering, wondering what he was talking about. I looked at him questioningly too.

"What?" I finally spoke aloud for everyone.

"The assistant director told me they needed extras for a couple scenes so if you guys wanna do it-" he tried to say but the class was out of their seats and yelling over each other in excitement before he could finish. Beck tried to calm them down but no one listened. The bell silenced them though. Sikowitz gave us our assignments for homework, emphasizing the importance of studying robot research, while everyone collected their stuff. Seriously, robot research? He ran out promptly after that, claiming he left his harmonica in the men's room. I watched him go, wondering why he needed such a thing while in the bathroom. I quickly threw the thought out of my head as I filed out with the rest of the class.

* * *

Gonna be an EXTRA in a REAL

MOVIE! BOOO-to-the-YAAA!

Mood = Double Pumped

* * *

I met up with the gang on the set of Miss Fire later that day. We gathered in a small group, talking and waiting for the scene to start. We watched Andre talk to some girl by the snack bar before she turned her back on him and left quickly. He returned to us with his hands in his pockets and his head down.

"Hey, we saw you working that hot girl over there," I told him. He looked over at the girl and then back to me.

"Yeah, I think she's into me," he replied confidently. Jade looked at him like he was delusional and then went ahead and implied it.

"Right, we can tell by the way she ran screaming from you," she deadpanned. Jade may be cutting when she wanted to but she was also witty. I had to give her that. Andre traded a look with Cat and then we were all called to attention. The scene was about to start. Cat excitedly ran to where she needed to be, drawing stares when she repeated what the director told us as soon as the words left his mouth. The rest of us got in place more quietly than the hyper redhead. We sat at a table together. Then Melinda Murrey strutted on set and sat down at a table right in front of us. The director explained what was going to happen.

When Beck was mentioned, Jade cut in to pointedly tell everyone that he was her boyfriend. I caught her exchanging a playful smile with him before the director finished. Once that was done we got started. The scene rolled but was brought to a halt rather quickly. Melinda was not happy with Beck who apparently got his line wrong. While she explained the mistake, Jade watched with a frown and I rushed to check the script I carried with me. The argument continued until Beck apologized. I could feel Jade's piercing gaze linger on me as I looked at the script and then put it away. I glanced at her to see she was shooting me a questioning look before averting her eyes. I stood to get the director's attention.

**~Jade~**

I looked up quickly, not believing that Vega was sticking her nose in a matter too serious to butt into. She had to quit doing that. I prayed for her to just sit down and shut up, but of course, she continued. Why must she try to fix things that didn't concern her and should just be left alone?

"Excuse me, um, Beck got his line right," she stated calmly. I looked from her to the director, trying to keep myself from making her sit down by force. She was going to ruin Beck's chances and I knew he was aware of that too.

"I-no, no. No, no," he pleaded uncomfortably with her, but she wouldn't listen. He looked down and away nervously. My hands gripped my seat.

"What?" the director asked her, walking over to hear her better. By now, the whole crew had their eyes on her.

"Sit, down," I hissed, eyes warning her. I regretted making the nice decision; well, nice for me, when she spared me a fleeting glance before she showed the director the script and pointed out that what she said was true. See what being nice gets? No one listens. And Beck asked me why I used force. Well there's your answer, Beck. The director took the script and checked for himself. Beck looked on silently but unhappy.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what are you?" Melinda demanded haughtily, standing to walk over to Vega with an impatient wave of her hand. She smiled politely, her hands clasped in front of her. We all looked at her, pleading silently for her to stop. It was a lost cause though because we all knew she couldn't help but stick up for what she believed was the right thing to do.

"Tori Vega, background player, big fan, hi Melinda Murrey!" she answered happily. The uptight diva only continued to stare at her hatefully. Well, so far Vega wasn't getting anywhere. I crossed my arms and clenched my fists, waiting for her to screw things up. Because she would. I could feel it.

"Ok, an extra is correcting me on the set," Melinda Murrey complained to the director. I looked to Vega, knowing she had something to say to that too. God, that girl couldn't just shut up.

"I'm sorry, but you yelled at my friend and he was totally-" she tried to say but Melinda caught only one word.

"She's your friend?" she demanded from Beck, her finger pointing accusingly. Beck stuttered, trying to explain himself. He didn't get to because Melinda quickly dismissed him. Vega glanced at her with wide eyes and then apologetically looked at Beck. I grew livid and wanted nothing more than to yell at the youngest Vega, but I kept myself firmly seated where I was. Things were already bad and I could always pick at her more than usual when we returned to school. The director cut in at that moment.

"Melinda," he said, imploring her to see reason, but she wasn't hearing it.

"You want him here or me?" she demanded. My eyes widened and Andre's did too. The surrounding crew was deadly silent now. I didn't know who I should be madder at now, Melinda or Vega. I knew who the director would pick and it wasn't going to be Beck.

"Kid, I'm sorry," the director said to him quietly.

"No, it's cool," Beck replied, his voice lacking emotion. He slowly shuffled off set. The only person I couldn't stand losing their confidence was Beck. He was my best friend and I hated to see him so down. It was all Vega's fault.

"No, why did you get mad at him? I'm the one who corrected you!" Vega exploded, pointing at Beck and then herself. Melinda appraised her, unconcerned and arms crossed.

"Good point. Bye!" she replied, waving her fingers at her. She stuttered but Melinda continued to shoo her away. I exchanged a hard glare with Andre's concerned expression. Now Vega went and got them both kicked off the set. I felt it was what she deserved but Beck still lost his spot in the movie so it didn't make me feel any better.

"Aww, that's not what I wanted to happen," Vega whined, walking off the set dejectedly. The crew quickly resumed and they began rolling again. By the time the rest of us could go home, both Vega and Beck were already gone. I had a bone to pick with a certain Vega, and it damn well wasn't going to be Trina; even though she wazzed me off far more often.

**~Tori~**

The next day I spent in constant guilt. Beck wasn't in the movie anymore and it was all because of my big mouth. I grabbed food from Festus and then made my way over to a table where Andre sat with his keyboard. He was making notes on a sheet of paper as he played. I plopped down and opened my food, Andre snagging some almost instantly. I didn't even have the will to protest. He popped the food into his mouth and then began playing an upbeat tune on the keyboard. It clashed horribly with my sad state.

"Why?" I questioned him. He grinned and answered, just as joyfully.

"'Cause you know what's great about movies?" he answered with his own question. I hummed in thought but Andre answered it for me.

"The musical score. Whenever stuff happens you always hear the perfect music to go with it. See, tater pops make me happy so…" he explained, grabbing more to eat and then continuing to play the keyboard happily. I wasn't amused and watched him with a frown. Right about now I was wishing I just listened to Jade and sat down. Ugh, listening to Jade. Who knew that could be the right thing to do? The thought made my frown deepen. When should I ever listen to Jade? Speak of the devil and she shall appear. Jade and Beck were walking right towards us.

"Oh great. Here comes Jade," I said, nervously looking away. She probably wanted to murder me for what happened but I was sure she hadn't done so yet only because Beck told her not to. Andre quickly began playing a tune associated with incoming danger. Jade stopped at the table and gave him one of her fake smiles that meant the complete opposite of what a smile meant. Andre only smiled back, knowing his little joke ticked her off. There were days he didn't care what Jade did or said and then there were days he just outright didn't want to get in her way. Oddly enough, Jade never really retaliated in a harsh way when he contradicted her.

"Can we sit somewhere else?" she complained to Beck instead.

"Nope," he replied, sitting down with finality. Jade groaned and sat right next to me. As much as I liked her close I didn't really want her to be at the moment. What if she attempted to hurt me while no one was looking?

"Fine, we'll sit with the girl who can't keep her mouth shut and got you fired," she stated, her eyes clearly staring me down behind her shades. I looked away and rolled my eyes, unwilling to show her just how nervous I was. Andre started up on his keyboard again, true to his word, playing a tune that fit the moment. I flicked my gaze to him before focusing on Beck who stayed quiet, unhappy at the way things turned out but not looking for a fight like Jade was. He had probably already heard her rant not too long ago.

"Beck, I swear, if there was anything I could do to make it up to you I would," I told him sincerely. It was the best I could do and I didn't like that I couldn't do more. I really was sorry.

**~Jade~**

Just hearing her say that triggered my pent up anger. No matter how much I tried to rein it in I just couldn't sit still any longer. I lashed out the only way I knew would make sense.

"I bet you would," I commented scathingly, knowing she would understand what I meant. Beck on the other hand frowned for half a second at my retort but said nothing. Vega glowered at me, and we held the eye contact, before she turned to Andre who had begun to play again. He smiled helpfully and Beck raised an eyebrow at him.

"You know if you really wanted to help you wouldn't just sit there like a bag of door knobs; you'd do something," I snarled at her forcefully. I said it with enough conviction in hopes that I could get her to take action. I knew the overly helpful girl would in fact do something. She just needed a little friendly push, or in this case, a shove. I stood quickly, grabbed my lunch, and then strode away, done with the whole situation.

"Where are you goin'?" Beck called after me tiredly. I might have laid on my anger a little too thick for him earlier but I was just so upset about the whole thing and the fact that he himself wasn't mad at Vega. He **should** be mad at her.

"Anywhere else," I replied simply but with a bite to my words. Andre began playing again, making me stop and head back. I had had enough of his stupid tunes.

"Ok, let's remove this, and that's for you," I stated, reaching over him to flip the keyboard over uncaringly. I quickly removed the back panel and then dumped out the batteries on the table. I promptly made my departure right after that, my head held high. Damn Vega, she better fix this or she'll be sorry. I let out a heavy breath and kept walking.

**~Tori~**

Andre's eyebrows creased at Jade's behavior but he took it in stride with a shrug. He made a bummer sound manually and then began replacing the batteries at a leisurely pace.

"I better go hose her down," Beck suggested, collecting his bag and lunch before standing.

"I'm so sorry," I offered again, meaning it for more than what I had done.

"Stop saying that," Beck replied, patting my head good-naturedly before walking away.

"Don't let it get to you," Andre comforted me. I wasn't accepting it though.

"No, she's right. I should go apologize to Melinda Murrey and go get Beck his job back," I replied sadly. Yep, Jade was right. I didn't want to admit it but I had to make things right if I meant what I said. Andre was about to reply when Sinjin came up and smacked his shoulder.

"Ow! What was that for?" he demanded, hands raised.

"There was a bee on your shoulder," Sinjin informed him.

"And you killed it before it could sting me? Thanks a lot man," he said unbelievably, leaning in to look at the bee stiffly resting on the table. Sinjin began asking what the problem was but Andre silenced him.

"No, just go on, get out of here," he told him. Sinjin turned away and I watched him go, turning back around to see Andre pleading with the dead insect. He poked at it with his finger. Well, at least this provided a weird but welcome distraction.

"Come on bee. Breathe," he begged. I leaned in as well, certain it was no longer alive.

"Wake up man. Sting me," Andre asked, his finger still poking at it. I decided to finally state the obvious.

"Andre, he's gone," I told him. He held a fist to his mouth like he was going to cry. And now the situation was starting to look like a dramatic character death.

"I know," he responded, still holding out a finger hopefully. I looked at him and then returned to looking at the bee. I had very…unique, friends.

* * *

Going to studio to get Beck his

job back. Brought Cat. Her hair

is VERY red.

Mood = Buggin'

* * *

I peeked into the big door leading inside the studio. Cat was peeking in next to me. A security guard stood just in front of us. I glanced at Cat and then nodded, cuing the redhead to sneak in. We separated but the security guard turned to see me trying to scurry away. He called to me so I had no choice but to turn back.

"You got some ID?" he asked.

"ID?" I replied uncertainly, trying to stall so that I could come up with something; anything, that could get me out of this.

"What's your name?" he questioned suspiciously.

"Oh, I'm…uhhh…" I looked around for inspiration when my eyes landed on the water cooler behind him.

"I'm Crystal Waters," I told him with a smile. He looked at me skeptically.

"It's ok, I'm on the movie," I assured him, starting to walk away. He began to question me when Cat came barreling back over to us. She latched onto the guard screaming about losing her mother. She then proceeded to throw a fit while the guard tried in vain to silence her. I was impressed and relieved. We didn't go to a performing arts school for nothing. The guard finally gave in and Cat led him away, winking at me over her shoulder. I grinned and set off quickly. I was just about to turn the corner into the studio when I skidded to a halt at the sight of stern blue-green eyes pinning me in place.

"Jade, what are you doing here?" I asked, a little out of breath. The girl in question only shrugged and began circling me in a predatory fashion.

"I came to make sure you did as I told you to," she responded calmly, stopping to stand in front of me. She was here to make sure I fixed the damage I caused. I would have been upset at her if it wasn't for the fact she was leaning towards me way too close for comfort, effectively distracting me. To get my head out of its rut I decided to put up a fight. No one manipulated me to do something, whether I wanted to or not. She couldn't just control me.

"You didn't tell me to do anything," I retaliated, feeling the need to defend myself. Jade's pierced eyebrow lifted at my reply.

"Oh, I sure didn't tell you to get up and do something. Not at all, door knobs," she retorted, a smug smirk spreading on her face while she crossed her arms and tilted her head. I groaned and threw up my hands.

"Ok fine, I didn't listen to you exactly. I have a conscience you know. I would have done it on my own without your input," I told her, my hands going to my hips. I couldn't give Jade all the credit. She suggested, not commanded. I could have ignored her. But as soon as I thought this I knew I wouldn't have.

"Yeah, look where that got you," she reminded me. I rolled my eyes. I wasn't getting anywhere with this.

"Look, are you going to help or not, because if you aren't can you please move aside so I can fix this?" I stated, clearly agitated and done with our bickering. Jade smiled, looking accomplished, and nodded.

"Sure, fix what you messed up," she said, purposely reminding me of my mistake one last time. I shook my head and pushed past her, my hand on her arm to remove her from my path. She scowled at the contact but said nothing. I spared her a curious glance before I spotted the actress I was looking for at the snack bar. I strode over, readying my speech in my head as I went. I didn't get far though, because who I thought was Melinda was just a man dressed up to look like her.

"I'm Melinda's stunt double," he explained, eyeing me in a way that I really wasn't comfortable with. A strong grip suddenly put a vice on my shoulder and I looked to see Jade glaring daggers at him.

"Get lost creep," she practically growled, sending the man on his way quickly. Jade released me and looked away so that our eyes couldn't meet. Was she hiding something from me? I dismissed the idea as soon as it popped in my head.

"Thanks," I told her gratefully. Jade only shrugged and then smacked me on the arm with the back of her hand. It stung and I rubbed my pained arm absentmindedly.

"Stop wasting time and talk to Melinda," she ordered, waving a hand for me to hurry up. I smiled, knowing she was avoiding my curious gaze. She **was** hiding something. However, instead of question her and risk angering her for it on top of standing around, I nodded and set off again. I snuck a glance over my shoulder to see Jade turn on her heel and leave, her reason for showing up completed. I looked away and focused on the task at hand.

* * *

Ahhh! I see Melinda…wish

me luck!

Mood = Double Buggin'

* * *

I scooted through the crew as the director was explaining what would happen in the scene they were about to shoot. He was currently occupied with an uncaring crew member. He yelled a few things to him and then they scattered to begin the scene. I took the opportunity to cut in.

"Melinda," I began, eyes downcast and voice soft. The actress turned and held up her hands in disgust.

"Ugh, who let you on the stage?" she demanded.

"Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have corrected you-" I began to apologize. Melinda didn't hear it because she was busy calling security.

"Michael!" she commanded to someone across the room. I panicked.

"No, no, we don't need Michael! No Michael!" I yelled in the general direction Melinda had called in.

"Look, I just want to say I'm sorry, but you shouldn't get mad at Beck because he didn't-" I tried again. Melinda silenced me.

"Go, away," she said through gritted teeth.

"Come on, just let Beck have his part back. It isn't his-" I tried harder. Melinda was livid now.

"Get out!" she screamed, waving her hands at me for emphasis. There was a startled sound up above us and then a strange whistling noise before an arrow was firmly lodged in Melinda's gesturing right hand. I gasped and Melinda froze with her mouth hanging open, time freezing for a few seconds with her shock. Then she was screaming bloody murder and frantically flapping her other hand hysterically. The whole crew rushed over to help her.

"Oh my god," I stated, my eyes wide. Melinda continued to scream while slowly sinking to the floor. I could only stare. What did I do now?

* * *

O…M…G. I just made a superstar

get shot in the hand.

Mood = Freakin'

* * *

The paramedics were called in quickly and in no time the injured actress was sprawled out on a gurney, still screaming herself horse and staring at her impaled hand. I pushed my way to her and apologized profusely. Melinda only screamed that it was my fault and then went back to vocalizing her pain. She shouted demands as the paramedics wheeled her off set. Even in pain and on her way to the hospital Melinda Murrey got what she wanted. I watched her go, feeling bad all over again. I still hadn't gotten Beck his part back. I failed and Jade was sure to kill me now. The director got off the phone with Melinda's manager and announced that the actress was going to have to be recast. He went on to explain I was responsible for the turn of events. The crew stared at me silently and I looked around, feeling small and humiliated. Great, now I had a whole movie set worth of people who hate me.

"I-I feel so bad about this," I stuttered, hoping that was enough.

"Bad?" the director stated. There was a beat of silence before the costar chimed in.

"We all hated her!" he stated, high fiving the director. The two began to laugh with relief and then the crew followed with clapping. I was seriously confused now. Wait, so I did something good?

"She was a nightmare!" the director added with a big smile.

"What is your name?" he asked, but before I could answer, the security guard from earlier ran in. Cat must have run out of distractions. Wait, how did Jade get in if he was supposedly patrolling? Never mind, why was I even questioning that? It was Jade I was questioning. I was sure she could get away with almost anything. I was pulled from my thoughts by the guard.

"That's Crystal Waters!" he shouted. Everyone cheered and a crew member stepped forward to hold my arm up triumphantly. I shifted my eyes uncertainly but allowed a small, nervous, smile. The director and costar hugged me next, thanking me again. More of the crew picked me up. I couldn't believe this was happening. They cheered my fake name until I just joined in, unable to do much else. School was going to be pretty interesting the next day.

In the morning I got ready quickly and rushed Trina out the door while she whined and complained. I had to make sure Beck got his job back after that crazy mess I went through and the only way to do that was to ask him myself. When I finally got to school I set to work looking for Beck but I couldn't find him. The bell rang so I had to get to class. It wasn't until I spotted him between classes that I got to talk to him.

"Hi Beck," I greeted brightly, skipping down the main stairs and walking over to him by his locker. He turned to me, studying me calmly.

"Tori Vega," he addressed me.

"That's me," I confirmed. He nodded with narrowed eyes.

"Are you sure you're not Crystal Waters?" he asked me. I was too happy to explain. Just by hearing that I knew he got his job back.

"You got the call!" I yelled in excitement.

"I'm back on the movie," he stated, holding up his hands. A grateful smile graced his face.

"Yay!" I cheered, throwing my arms around him in a big hug. Yes! I fixed it! And the best part was, Jade wasn't going to kill me! The moment was then broken by a familiar presence.

**~Jade~**

I was walking down the hall, wondering if Vega was successful and contemplating what I would do to her if she wasn't, when I came around the corner to see her sharing a longer than necessary hug with Beck. So, it must have gone well, but the sight really did nothing to improve my mood. Beck looked too happy which made me unhappy. I rolled my eyes with a sigh.

"One, two…" I warned, having nothing else that wasn't violent to us on them. They loosened their hold on one another to look at me.

"Don't let me get to three," I threatened for good measure, most of it directed at Beck. He knew better than that. He stared at me, letting his arms drop, but I practically shoved him away even more. Vega moved away quickly, most likely unwilling to wazz me off when she would rather be celebrating. Ew, I was starting to get to know Vega. Beck didn't put up a fuss either which led me to believe he just wanted to happily celebrate. My tense stance relaxed somewhat as I stood closer to him.

"Better," I commented, my eyes on Beck when I said it but focused on Vega after. She looked away at my intense stare which made me smirk. Beck draped an arm across my shoulders, a warning to be nice and a reassurance that he meant no harm. I warmed up to him quickly after that. I was still going to pull him aside once again and warn him against showing affection for Vega though. I had my eyes on her first after all. I yanked off his arm and held it in a firm grip before dragging him away. I saw Vega shake her head, most likely feeling bad for Beck with the amount of sympathy in her brown eyes. I turned away, trying unsuccessfully to keep her out of my thoughts. It was starting to become a conscious effort.

**~Tori~**

How did Beck do it? I didn't think I could handle Jade's roller coaster of emotions if I was him. Just this back and forth between frenemies and outright rivals was enough for me. I blushed slightly at the thought of being in Beck's place, as Jade's significant other, before waving it away hastily. It didn't do me any good thinking like that. I sighed tiredly and walked away to pick up a book from my locker. I wanted to take a nap instead of go to class but I couldn't so I resolved to crash the minute I got home. I was going to need plenty of rest if I was going to have to deal with Jade every day, but so far, I think I was doing pretty good.


	11. The Great Ping-Pong Scam

**~Tori~**

I woke up feeling like today would be a good one. Trina wasn't so annoying, the sun was out but it wasn't hot since there was a breeze, and I was just feeling good. I walked into school, a little busy with my phone, but not enough to miss seeing Andre, Robbie, and Cat who greeted me after I had said my hellos to them. We hadn't hung out in some time recently with everyone being so busy after school, so I figured I could put out the idea to spend some time together today.

"After school, I was thinking we should all go hang out at The Grove. You wanna, wanna?" I suggested with a smile while pocketing my phone. Almost instantly the three of them went quiet and shifty-eyed. I didn't miss it. Each of them made noises that told me they couldn't take me up on the offer.

"We really can't," Cat said.

"How come?" I wondered. It was starting to get weird how often they were turning down hanging out after school. Was it me? Or maybe they really were busy.

"Oh, well, uh, we have ping-pong practice," Robbie told me. How come I didn't know this before? Why was I being told only now? Andre and Cat nodded along.

"Shut up," I answered, playfully disbelieving so that I could hide my lack of knowledge. I mean seriously, why hadn't I known?

"It's true," Andre confirmed.

"Yeah, we're all on the ping-pong team," Robbie said.

"Me, Andre, Robbie, Beck, and Jade," Cat added.

"There's no ping-pong team at Hollywood Arts," I denied. I hadn't heard of this even being a thing before. The three exchanged looks and then Robbie turned to me.

"Listen, Tori, um, you're still kinda new here and there are just some things you don't under-" he began to say but stopped. Probably because of the expression of complete loss on my face. How was Robbie the one telling me of things I didn't understand? He leaned in and I frowned at the proximity, but then he began to sniff. So maybe he stopped for a different reason.

"What kind of gum are you chewing?" he questioned.

"I don't know. Sinjin made it," I replied.

"Smell her mouth," Robbie told Rex who he lifted to do so.

"Sure," Rex complied readily. This might just be weirder than Robbie sniffing at me seconds ago.

"Hmm, smells like…that trip we took to Acapulco last year," he evaluated. Robbie smiled in agreement.

"Yes!" he exclaimed.

"Ooh, you have Mexican flavored gum?" Cat chimed in, awed.

"Mexican's not a flavor," I told her.

"Thank you," Sinjin suddenly commented when he walked up to me before walking off again. We watched him go before I decided to get us back on the main topic of the conversation.

"Look, if you guys don't want to hang out with me then just say so. Why make up a lie that you are all in some ping-pong team?" I said, still unable to believe something I was only now hearing about. They were quiet again.

"Hey, Tori!" Cat suddenly said.

"How's it going?" Robbie added.

"What's up?" Andre joined in.

"Ok, so now you're going to pretend like we're not having the conversation we're having?" I questioned.

"About what?" Cat asked, looking truly confused. I stared at her.

"The big ping-pong team lie!" I shouted at her. I shook my head and walked away.

"If you don't believe us then go to the rec room," Robbie said, following me. Andre and Cat weren't far behind.

"You can see all the trophies we've won," Cat said.

"First place," Andre said with a raise of his coffee cup. I looked at them just as I was going to open my locker.

"Really?" I asked. They all answered positively.

"Ok, then I wanna try out for the team," I decided. Suddenly they were back to making noises that clearly told me that it wasn't a good idea.

"What?" I inquired, waiting to hear what they had to say this time.

"Look, if you wanna try out for the ping-pong team then you have to talk to the team captain," Robbie clued me in.

"Fine. Who's the team captain?" I asked.

"Jade," Cat answered. Oh, no.

"Ugh," I groaned, making a face. This would definitely not be an easy thing to do.

"Or you could join my team. I call it Rex's All Hot Chick Volleyball Squad," Rex inputted, getting in my face. I frowned and he laughed but I mocked him and then quickly shut him up by smashing my gum in his face.

"Tori!" Robbie called to me, but I had already walked away. That puppet gave me the creeps sometimes. And to think, it was all just some hidden part of Robbie. That creeped me out even more. I shuddered and sped up. Ok, mind on the matter at hand. I had to find Jade at some point today, preferably soon, and talk to her about joining the team. I got my chance between classes when I found her talking in the main hall's second landing of the stairs. I ran up to her.

"Jade," I said, stopping to stand right behind her. She ignored me, continuing the conversation she was having with a fellow student. I had a feeling she would do that, but that wasn't going to stop me.

"Jade. Jade!" I repeated, jabbing her in the shoulder with my finger. I could visibly see her tense.

"I'm not going away. And you can't just say no," I told her with a point of my finger. Jade always had a way of sending everyone away or denying everything she deemed not worth her time, or outright halting something from happening with a simple no. It was usually yelled, but I was sure it would be just as powerful any other way. She finally turned around with an agitated look on her face underneath the fake smile.

"No, **no**, _no_, _**no**_, no, _no_, **no**," she replied, changing her voice to accompany each form of the word. I scratched my head.

"Alright, well you can. But-" I said with a nod and wave of my hand when the bell rang, cutting me off. She moved to leave but I wasn't finished. It was at that moment that Lane passed.

"Lane, could you come here please?" I called to him, holding out a hand. He turned to look at me.

"Don't move," I commanded, sticking a finger in Jade's face for emphasis. She sniffed petulantly and took a drink of her coffee.

"I'm staying here because I wanna stay here," she huffed matter-of-factly. I rolled my eyes and went down the stairs to talk to Lane.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Jade is the captain of the ping-pong team and I wanna try out but she says I can't," I explained.

"Yep, that's what I says," she stated, coming down the stairs to stand at the bottom.

"Oh, come on. Why do you all have to drag me into your problems?" he replied. I squinted my eyes at him.

"Uh, you're the guidance counselor here. Can we have some guidance?" I reminded him.

"Alright," he accepted after a sigh.

"I've already got it loaded in here," I said, holding up my phone to navigate the school's website, but then I noticed that he had taken out a bottle of lotion. He squirted some on his hands then began rubbing it in. I stared at him until he realized it and stopped.

"Ok, what?" he inquired, gesturing to the phone. I decided to not question and move on with what I had stopped him for.

"See, look what it says on the official Hollywood Arts website," I told him, holding out the phone so he could see.

"Ugh, my life is slipping away!" Jade commented loudly. I shot her a look but ignored her.

"Read it," I said to Lane.

"'All students are encouraged to participate in school sanctioned events, clubs, and sports teams'," he read. I nodded along.

"And how can I participate in ping-pong if the team captain here refuses to let me try out?" I questioned, pointing at Jade who threw us her fake smile before looking back at Lane. He looked to Jade who rolled her eyes. I could tell she was reluctant but she had no choice now that I put her on the spot.

"You gotta let her try out," he told her.

"We don't need more players," she responded.

"Read the phone, Jade. Read the phone," I taunted, shaking it in her face. I could practically see the rage in her eyes but I couldn't help rubbing it in her face just a little after everything she did to me. I might regret it later, but with Lane here, I was safe for now. She shook her head at me, a warning that I didn't heed. She grabbed me by the wrist and pulled down.

"Fine," she growled, stomping away. I glanced at Lane who only shrugged. Well, that went better than I thought. I guess. I thanked him and was on my way back to class.

* * *

I demand PING PONG!

Mood = Fierce

* * *

**~Jade~**

Later that day after school I grudgingly allowed Vega to join us in the rec room. We set up the ping-pong table and decided on who would challenge her first. I told her that to try out she had to beat all of us first. If she lost once she couldn't be on the team. Beck was the first up while the rest of us stood off to the side to watch. I was a little apprehensive of Vega winning. I couldn't automatically write off any skill she might have in the game because I didn't know. I just hoped she sucked because I didn't want her intruding on the only time I had without her around. That, and…well, the other thing. But mostly that. I watched with a scowl as she beat Beck. Andre was the next one to challenge her while I sat next to Beck on the couch. I wanted to nag him for the loss but the match had started and I was too busy watching it. Andre didn't get much farther than Beck. He threw down the paddle and Cat took his place. Great. I doubt Cat would do any better. The level of determination on Vega's face must have added to spooking her, because as soon as the ball bounced over to her, she ran for it with a scream. I rolled my eyes.

I had moved to sit on a chair for this round and I cringed at the idiotic dance Vega did with her win. It wasn't much of a win but it still counted, unfortunately. Robbie was the next one to challenge her. I didn't think he would do any better. He stripped off his shirt and took off his glasses before he walked over to the table. What was wrong with him? Anyway, as I thought, he lost. It was a pretty hilarious way to lose though, even though I was scowling too much to laugh at someone's pain. Robbie hit the ball high but Vega spiked it back at him, nailing him right in the groin. He fell over, smacking his head on the table as he went down, and Vega cheered. Beck covered Rex's eyes and I shook my head. I got up to lay across the couch and watch Rex play next. Sad to say he did a little better, but still, Vega won once again. I sighed heavily, disappointed. There was only one thing left to do. I had done my own research online and I wasn't going to hesitate using it as my last resort. Everyone sat around while I got up and walked over to stand in front of Vega who met me halfway.

"Well?" she asked, waiting with an expectant yet triumphant smile. I had to wipe it off her face.

"You didn't make the team," I told her. And there goes the smile.

"W-what? I beat everybody," she replied.

"I don't care. Read the school website," I responded, holding out my phone. She glanced at it, then up to me, a hard look in her eyes. It was almost thrilling to see how upset she was. She then snatched the phone from me with a huff.

"'When a student tries out for a sports team, for which there is no coach, the team captain shall decide if the student is granted or denied acceptance to the team'," she read.

"Captain says: denied," I said mockingly, plucking my phone out of her hand. If it was at all possible, her expression just became a bit angrier.

"But, you ca-you can't jus-" she stammered. I held up my phone to her face with a satisfied smile.

"Read the phone, Tori. Read the phone," I taunted. She exhaled, nose flaring like a charging bull, and then grabbed me by the wrist. Her grip was tight and she leaned a bit closer in her anger.

"Don't you steal my phone in face bit," she spat, shoving my hand aside and then turning away. For the first time I was faced directly with her anger and I had to admire it. She wasn't such a push over after all. She snatched the ping-pong paddle from Robbie, shot me one last glare, and then threw open the door to leave. The others looked at me with varying expressions I shrugged off. I was sure Beck would probably have something to say, but I wasn't too worried otherwise. If Vega wanted on the team, she would have to prove how bad she wanted it. Beating a few subpar opponents wasn't going to cut it. I wasn't going to make it easy.

**~Tori~**

I wasn't going to let Jade get what she wanted again. Nope. Not this time. Good thing I had a plan. It involved having to go to Sinjin for help, but I didn't know anyone else who could help me with the plan I had. I yanked him into the janitor's closet between class to ask him for help. I couldn't let anyone know what I was planning and risk it somehow getting back to Jade, who I was sure would force the information out of them if she felt it was something she should know about. Jade spent a lot of time keeping Sinjin away from her so it was less likely that she would find out. I was confident this would work.

So, after I pulled Sinjin aside, spraying him in the face to reprimand him for trying to kiss me, I laid down my plan. There was something wonky going on besides Jade trying to keep me off the team. I knew because no one tried to talk Jade into changing her mind. They just went along with her. That said more than anything anyone could have told me. I was gonna get to the bottom of that wonk if it was the last thing I did. That would be accomplished by way of spying. Sinjin was good at constructing props for plays. If he made something for me to hide in I could find out what was going on. To be fair, I gave him a kiss on the cheek when he agreed to help. That should keep him appeased. I ran out of the janitor's closet, feeling accomplished. Not even Sinjin's weird comment could dampen my mood.

* * *

Gonna get to the bottom of

this WONK.

Mood = Suspicious

* * *

I sighed, cramped but anticipating the arrival of my friends. School had just ended and I was hiding in the fake soda machine, as planned. All I had to do was sit out their little ping-pong meeting; if that was what it really was. It didn't take long for them to show. I was brought out of my thoughts with the sounds of their voices. I listened as they babbled about something or other. I wasn't surprised when they eventually moved on to playing games. I knew it! They weren't doing anything ping-pong related at all! I frowned, stewing in my agitation, but still managed to catch Jade making fun of Robbie. Wait, what was it that Beck and Andre said before she spoke? A dollar fell at my feet and I began to panic. Darn it! They were trying to get a soda! Why didn't I bring some with me? The sound of Andre about to solve the problem made me close my eyes and brace being found out. At least I found out what they really did. I had just hoped that I could get away with it. Banging and shaking made me tense. Then Jade stepped in. Oh no. Now they were rocking it. I let out an unintentional scream when the rocking turned into tilting and then I was falling forward. The collision with the ground dazed me.

"Did that machine just scream like a teenaged girl?" Andre questioned incredulously. Ok, I might as well just show myself now. Plus, I was tired of being stuck in this thing. I kicked the back, loosening it, then shoved it aside. I climbed out to the shocked faces of my friends. Jade was the only one staring me down with her hands on her hips. Maybe if I feigned a different reason for being there I could get away with spying? It was worth a try.

"Alright, who put me in the soda machine?!" I demanded, looking around. Jade's brows creased as she looked to the others and then back at me. I shrunk in my place crouched in the machine, knowing that I hadn't fooled them. It was worth a try. Beck and Andre easily picked me up out of the machine and set me down, even though I could have easily gotten out myself.

"I got it! I got it! Paws off!" I shouted, shaking away their hands once I was on my feet. I fixed my hair to get it out of my face.

"Why were you hiding in there spying on us?" Robbie demanded.

"'Cause, I had a feeling you guys' ping-pong team was just a big fake and I was right! You weren't practicing ping-pong! You were playing retro party games!" I accused, looking to each of them and then throwing my hand out at the evidence still lying on the floor. They shifted but remained quiet.

"So **what** is up?" I asked them. I stared at Andre the longest, knowing he would be the first to give in and tell me.

"Let's just tell her," he said, glancing at Jade.

"No," she replied.

"Yes," Beck quickly agreed.

"I think we should tell her," Cat chimed in.

"Why don't we just drive her out to the desert and drop her off?" Rex suggested.

"Rex!" Robbie reprimanded.

"She knows too much!" the puppet responded. I rolled my eyes at them but internally dreaded the suggestion. Jade would probably happily take that as a solution, but when I looked to her, it wasn't to see her angry anymore. She just pulled on a blank expression.

"Tell her," she said with a wave of her hand. Everyone had voted against her and the sound of betrayal was barely indicated in her words. She expertly covered it with indifference but I still heard it. I wondered if anyone else had heard it. Jade turned away to sit on the couch, dragging Beck with her who she frowned at. I looked to Andre for an explanation.

"There's no real ping-pong team," he confessed.

"Ah ha!" I screamed, jabbing my finger at him. He leaned away with furrowed brows at my outburst. I couldn't help it. I knew I was right. But hold on, what was I missing?

"Then what's this all about?" I asked, frozen in place. I dropped my hand and Andre took a breath to begin talking.

"Well, it all started two years ago when the school put that ping-pong table in this room," he began. I felt like this was about to get story telling worthy. Too bad I couldn't join them in the flashback they were most likely sharing.

"We just walked in and there it was. Then Robbie suggested we form an official ping-pong team here at Hollywood Arts to compete against other schools," Andre said.

"So I slapped Robbie hard on top of his head," Jade supplied.

"It really hurt," Robbie remarked. I looked at him.

"It really hurt!" he repeated, holding a hand to his head.

"I heard that. So?" I told him, impatient to get back to the story.

"So, a few days later; me, Andre, Jade, and Robbie were hanging out," Beck said from his place on the couch next to Jade.

"When Cat walked up," Jade continued.

"She was all pumped up about some fancy restaurant her parents took her to the weekend before," Andre said.

"They had amazing steaks and crab cakes and lobster mash potatoes and classy live music and the most insane desserts I had ever tasted," Cat joined in.

"Which all sounded pretty good to us," Andre commented.

"So I said, well, we gotta go there," Robbie spoke up again.

"And I told Robbie there was no way we could go there because it was really expensive," Cat said, picking up the story.

"Where is this story going?" I questioned with my hands on my hips. So far this had nothing to do with ping-pong besides mentioning the table.

"It actually gets weirder," Beck told me, sitting back on the couch. Jade nodded.

"You see, when Cat told us that the restaurant was too expensive…" Robbie began.

"I remember something Beck had told me about all the sports teams at Hollywood Arts getting a minimum of fifteen hundred dollars a year to pay for travel and equipment. And that's when I got the idea," Jade said, finishing what Robbie started. We all waited for her to keep going but she fell silent. I stood there, facing her, with an expectant expression but she just sat there apparently lost in the memories. Or maybe she was just too preoccupied with biting at her nails.

"Well what was the idea?" I demanded, not able to stand the waiting anymore. She finally looked up.

"Oh, right, I was telling a story," she said, like she actually forgot. It made me wonder if she was just being difficult or if she actually forgot. I wouldn't put it past her.

"Uh, I said, maybe we should form a fake ping-pong team, take the fifteen hundred bucks, and use the money for all of us to have a fancy dinner at the restaurant Cat told us about," she shared, smirking at her idea. That, I could believe coming from her.

"At first, we thought Jade's idea was crazy," Robbie said with a shake of his head. Jade lifted a brow at him but said nothing.

"But after we exchanged some looks," Andre began.

"We started to think it might be a pretty cool idea," Cat finished.

"But then Robbie said wait," Beck jumped in.

"I reminded everyone that all sports teams are required to have at least one faculty advisor," Robbie explained.

"So, we went to the only teacher we could trust," Andre said. Somehow, I knew just who they would pick even before they said it.

"Sikowitz," Beck revealed. Yep, I knew it.

"But he told us our plan was way too devious, and illegal," Cat said with a frown.

"But then he said hey, did you hear that principal Eichner might get fired?" Andre commented. I squinted my eyes, trying to understand why that mattered, but I gave up.

"Help me," I pleaded, looking to Andre.

"See, the principal's boss-" he began to say.

"The superintendent," Rex interjected.

"-was mad because Hollywood Arts didn't have any winning sports teams," Andre continued, clasping his hands.

"And he told principal Eichner at least one team better bring home a trophy this year, or else…" Beck took over, making a tsk sound as he swiped across his neck.

"You're fired," he finished.

"So I said to Sikowitz, what if the five of us-" Robbie began again.

"Six," Rex piped up.

"-six of us; pretend to go to a ping-pong tournament," he continued.

"Take the fifteen hundred bucks the school gives us," Beck said.

"Use four hundred of it to buy a nice trophy for the school," Andre said, taking over.

"Which would keep principal Eichner from getting fired," Cat added.

"And then use the rest of our money to take our favorite teacher to the restaurant Cat told us about," Jade supplied.

"And have the most amazing dinner of our lives," Robbie said.

"And then, Sikowitz was on board," Jade concluded. I just realized how much easier all of this could have gone, and without all the hopping from one person to another.

"So, you guys formed a fake ping-pong team so you could get some money, buy a trophy for the school, save the principal's job, and take Sikowitz out for a big fancy dinner?" I questioned, simplifying the story. They were quiet for a while then Andre nodded.

"Yeah, I guess we could have just told it that way," he agreed. I sighed and looked towards the ceiling. Why me?

"So, are you gonna bust us now and ruin everything?" Jade inquired, standing to confront me. There was a bit of bite to her words. She was waiting for me to say yes. I knew she was. I would just have to disappoint her.

"Noooo," I began, crossing my arms and facing her.

"If," I began, making a big deal over what I would say next. I could see her calculating, preparing herself for the rest of the sentence.

"If **what**?" she growled, catching on to the deal I was going to spring on her. I just smiled, dragging out the moment.

"Oh, I'm sure you know," I said with a nod. She only scowled and turned away.

"Fine," she spat, leaving right after that. Well, it wasn't a straight answer really but I got what I wanted. School had already ended so I wasn't going to try looking for Sikowitz today, but the next day I found him right after school and we explained to him that I was a part of the team now. He gave the others a look, but then I mentioned that I knew everything and he welcomed me. I got my very own team uniform and Sikowitz made an announcement to the school introducing me as a new member when the time came to go to a 'tournament'. It was nice, standing there, finally a part of the team, and smiling while Jade stood with a frown. Afterwards, we piled in Sikowitz's van. We bought the yearly trophy then headed to the fancy restaurant which was called Maestro's. The name was in red cursive slanting across the window.

"Oh my god, best food ever," I stated, feeling the need to comment. It was too good not to, even if they already knew. They agreed with me anyway.

"To ping-pong," Beck suddenly cheered, standing for a toast and holding his glass up. We all joined him, tapping our glasses together, then sat back down. I was about to start eating again when I noticed some people commenting on what I wore. Yeah, I should have thought about where we would really be going and packed some extra, more formal, clothes but it slipped my mind. Winning against Jade did that sometimes. I yelled at the gossipers and they scurried away. I caught Jade hiding a smile in Beck's shoulder and felt a little better. She got me so mad, and yet…ugh.

"How could you not think to bring a fancy dress?" Andre questioned me, pointing with his fork. I sure wasn't going to tell him the real reason.

"I don't know, I just didn't, ok?" I answered.

"You said you reminded everyone to bring nice clothes," Beck said, looking to Jade.

"I did," she affirmed.

"You didn't remind me," I told her. That would have actually helped.

"Whoops," Jade deadpanned with a glance at me before going back to eating. I should have seen that coming. We continued to eat happily and made that apparent when the manager came around to our table asking how we were doing.

"Two more people are complaining there's no live music," a woman informed the manager after getting our answer. I hadn't been listening, since I was too caught up in eating, but that caught my attention.

"So offer them a free dessert," he told her.

"I did. They're still upset," she replied. He excused himself and followed her. I went back to eating, talking to Cat who sat next to my left. She had it in her head that they grew lobster flavored potatoes and I had to explain to her that they didn't. She looked disappointed with the truth, but hey, someone had to break it to her. By the time we were all done eating we were stuffed. Poor Andre still wanted to eat more, and tried forcing himself, but it was just no use. But then Beck helped him cram another big bite of the chocolate cake he ordered. He thanked him and then Cat began trying to theorize the hypothetical origin of a lobster-potato once again. Everyone groaned. I thought I already explained this to her?

"Yes, Cat. A lobtato would grow. I'll tell the farmers," I said with a nod and fake smile. She giggled in response. Oh, Cat. The waiter came around to drop off the check with Sikowitz which meant that it would be time to go soon. He took one glance at it and spat out the last bite he had taken. Andre jumped next to him in shock. We all looked at him.

"What the hairballs?!" he exclaimed.

"What?" Jade questioned.

"It's thirteen hundred dollars!" he stage whispered across the table. We all sat dumbfounded for a moment and then each of us let out our own forms of exclamations.

"It's never been over seven hundred," Cat remarked.

"Way to go, **Tori**," Jade scathingly commented, slamming her hands on the table and looking to me. Hey!

"I ordered the same thing you did!" I retorted.

"Wait, wait, I see the problem. They mistakenly charged us an extra six hundred dollars for caviar," Sikowitz stated, relaxing. The rest of us were relieved to hear that. Sikowitz called over the manager to report the problem but then our waiter pointed out that it was Robbie who ordered it. We all looked at him and he cringed in his seat. I'd hate to be sitting by Jade right now if I was him. He tried to blame it on Rex but he denied it. Cat yelled at him and Robbie tried to explain his reasoning but it was too late. None of us knew what to do, and we were all panicking, so that now it was a fight between all of us. Sikowitz silenced us, dismissed Robbie's mistake with a burn, and then admitted to not having the money to pay the check. The mention of calling the police if we couldn't pay made us all nervous. And then we were all talking at once again. It was a free for all until I looked up and saw our opportunity at getting out of this mess.

"Uh, guys? Guys, I think I may be able to fix both our problems here," I offered, standing to get their attention. I just needed one other thing. I ran to Jade and leaned over her shoulder. She stiffened with me close to her but I couldn't back out now. This would save us.

"Gimme your dress," I commanded. She had just taken another bite of the food she had been working on, but when she heard me, she slowly turned around to look at me.

"What?" she questioned, mouth full of fruit. I rolled my eyes.

"Give, me, your, dress," I slowly enunciated so that she would understand. I knew it was a very random thing to hear but surely she understood now. Her eyes darted from me down to her dress multiple times and her expression began to look distressed. I didn't know if it was just the lighting but I thought I saw her face turn pink ever so slightly.

"This one?" she inquired, her voice a little higher as she pointed to herself with her fork. I only nodded. She swallowed her food and then stood up. We headed to the bathroom and I jogged to catch up with Jade's suddenly quick strides. She looked like she couldn't get out of there fast enough.

**~Jade~**

Did Vega just ask what I think she did? Here I was, enjoying my food, only to hear Robbie screwed up again and landed us in this mess. I was about to try and finish off my dessert consisting of a bowl of fruit before we were carted off to jail, but now this? What did she mean she needed my dress? What was **I** going to wear? Her ping-pong uniform? I shuddered as I made my way to the bathroom, uncaring if I was going too fast or if Vega couldn't keep up. I was sure I was blushing because I could feel my face heating up. I knew she hadn't meant that she wanted to take the dress off me or anything, but sometimes my mind wandered on its own where it shouldn't without my consent. I burst into the bathroom, seeing that it was just as fancy as the rest of the place, and then ran for a stall.

"Hold on! Jade!" Vega called after me, entering a moment later. I didn't stop. I just yanked open a stall and was about to go in when Vega stopped me, a hand reaching out to grip my wrist. It was two times too many for me so I shook her off. Unfortunately, that meant letting go of the stall door.

"What?" I demanded, turning to face her. Stupid Vega. I hoped I wasn't blushing too hard to notice. I made sure to face her with a scowl, my brows sharp over my nose.

"Sorry. I-I know this is kind of abrupt and all but-" she tried to say, but nothing she could say could reverse the image in my head.

"Whatever, just get in a stall and let's get this over with," I told her, moving to enter the stall again but was halted once more. I groaned and looked to her.

"Thanks," she said, sincere. It made me freeze in place.

"For what?" I replied, muttering the words. Suddenly, I couldn't look her directly in the eyes.

"You could have said no or fought more than you did and even tried to ditch us but you didn't and I guess I'm just…well, grateful," she explained, talking quickly. I stared at her for a moment longer then shrugged.

"Yeah, sure. So are we gonna get this done or not?" I grumbled. That bright hundred watt smile of hers spread across her face.

"Ugh, no, just…no. Hurry up, Vega!" I commanded, turning away and seeking cover in the stall quickly so that she couldn't stop me again. Touchy feely moments suck. I stripped out of my dress carefully and put down toilet paper as well as toilet covers so that I didn't have to stand barefooted on the bathroom floor. We exchanged clothes over the top of the stall. It was weird wearing something that Vega had just worn. It smelled like her and still held her warmth. It all felt kind of intimate. She passed me her sneakers with her socks balled up in them.

"Just wear your shoes," I told her. A whine echoed back to me.

"But Jade, it'll look weird! I need the whole look," she replied. I rolled my eyes and took them from her then paused when I realized what she meant. It made me hesitate.

"Are you serious?" I forced out. Now, I hated to admit it, even to myself, but I knew I was blushing even more. Her own hesitation in answering made me wonder if she was blushing too. I didn't wait for an answer and just passed her the rest of my clothes. When we were done we left the stalls. I got my first look of Vega in my clothes and couldn't help but scan her from top to bottom. The dress' material made it possible to contour to Vega's thinner form so that it fit her just as well. I hadn't seen her in dark colors before but she looked good. Not bad.

"Thanks," Vega muttered, dropping her eyes shyly. It was then I realized I said my thoughts out loud. Well, if she wasn't blushing before, she was now. I smirked.

"Don't let it go to your head. Now let's get out of here," I told her, turning on my heel and heading out. The reminder that I wore her shoes was made apparent when they squeaked on the tile floor. I walked out of the bathroom with Vega following close behind me. She better get us out of this or she would regret ever butting into it in the first place. Robbie was lucky I wasn't taking out my frustration on him. Hm, maybe I could get him when he least expected it. It would make me feel better about having to wear Vega's clothes.

**~Tori~**

* * *

Jade's dress feels warm.

Mood = Tuneful

* * *

Jade sat down at our table, trying hard to look upset with the situation, but I could see that it was slightly forced. I might be oblivious to some things but I didn't miss the look Jade gave me for those few seconds following what seemed to be a compliment. That was a big thing coming from someone like Jade West; especially if it was directed at me. I mean, it wasn't much, but it still meant something. After some planning with Andre I took my place on the raised platform while he took a seat at the piano bench. One look from me and he knew which song we would perform. It was the only one we had practiced together to see how we did paired in a song. He wanted to hear me sing, I complied, and soon after he wanted to play a song with me. I knew we would give a good performance. I was handed a mic and then I walked over to lean on the piano.

Andre started the song and then we were singing together perfectly. I hadn't performed in front of an audience in a while, but then that feeling of freedom and confidence flowed through me to keep me from getting nervous. It made it feel easy and natural. I walked around the platform, catching various people's eyes, and even got up to sit on the piano with the help from one of the waiters. As I sung, Cat and Robbie cheered and I looked to them. I glimpsed Jade smirking at me, but when she noticed me looking at her, she put on an emotionless mask and crossed her arms. Aw, and she looked like she was enjoying herself for a moment. The waiter helped me down and I landed with grace, which was a little surprising but welcomed since I was usually a little on the clumsy side. I walked off the platform to travel through the tables. I visited the platform once more to sit on the piano then walked off the platform to have a little fun.

I picked up Cat's hand in passing then moved on to pluck teasingly at the uniform Jade now wore. She warned me away with a warning glare, which I returned, before walking away. I stopped by Sikowitz and then hopped back up on the platform. I rested a hand on Andre's shoulder as we reached the end of the song, turned to the audience when I belted the last chorus, and then sat on the piano in front of Andre with the few words left falling from my lips. He smiled and dropped his hands from the keys. We were met by applause and I laughed happily. Wow, even Jade was clapping. She smiled at me but looked away. I took my version of a bow with a gesture of my hand then hopped off the piano with Andre's help. The manager thanked us by subtracting the cost of the caviar. We paid and then left. On our way out I found myself walking next to Jade.

"You didn't want to change back?" I asked her.

"What for? You're wearing it now. There's no point. You might as well keep the dress," she groused, refusing to look at me. I smiled, unaffected by her moodiness, and nudged her. She finally looked at me, even if it was to glare. Sikowitz drove us all back to school where our cars were still parked. I tried calling up Trina but once again she was proving difficult. I told her I would need a ride. I was almost going to try again after saying my goodbyes to the gang when I was suddenly tugged into walking. I looked up to see Jade dragging me along, her duffel bag in hand.

"What are you doing?" I questioned her.

"I change my mind. I want my dress back," she replied.

"Now?" I inquired, looking at her like she was crazy. She just nodded and directed me to the back doors of our school. I opened my mouth to retaliate but she only shushed me, pulled open the door, and shoved me inside.

"Why aren't the doors locked?" I wondered.

"I learned a long time ago that some teachers end up having to stay after school. Some students too," she answered, heading for the closest bathroom.

"This late?" I responded, following her in.

"Yep," she said with a nod. Without another word we repeated the switch from the restaurant and came out of the stalls back in our own clothes, except with Jade in her uniform instead of her dress which she stored in the duffel bag.

"Feel better?" I taunted with a smile. She rolled her eyes.

"No," she stated through clenched teeth. I shrugged and left the bathroom to go back outside but I was redirected again.

"What now?" I groaned. Jade didn't reply, but she didn't have to when I saw where we were going. We entered the rec room to see the ping-pong table. Jade flipped the lights on, tossed aside her bag, and then gathered the two paddles along with the ball. She tossed me a paddle, which almost hit me in the face had my reflexes not kicked in. She looked to be holding back a laugh when she took her place on the other side of the table. Was she challenging me? Why?

**~Jade~**

Vega's brows rose questioningly at me. I had taken her off guard. Good. It was time to see how well she could play when she was against someone who was more of a challenge. I pushed aside her slight confusion and held the ball up, ready to serve.

"You're up against me now, Vega. You're on the team so I can't very well kick you off. But if you lose, you owe me," I informed her.

"Huh?" she replied. I sighed but tossed the ball in the air and caught it to displace my annoyance.

"Ready?" I asked. She quickly settled into the stance she had taken before when she was up against the others.

"Are you even good at ping-pong?" she jeered with a playful smile.

"Are you questioning my skills? I didn't get to be captain for nothing. I smoked the others. Why would I even challenge you and risk looking stupid when I lost? I wouldn't, which means I'm more than sure that I'll win," I replied. She shrugged.

"The others must have questioned your skills if they challenged you," she pointed out.

"Because they had to. Besides, I'm **not** the others," I told her certainly.

"No, you're not," she mumbled quietly, almost inaudibly. Was that playful banter or…no. I shook my head and I acted like I didn't hear her then served the ball. She swiftly knocked it back. I countered, sending it right back at her, but she hit it again. I started off slow and deliberate, but when I saw that she could hold her own I began increasing the pace, hitting harder. She kept up with me for a long while but it was only a matter of time before she missed. I grinned, a little out of breath, and tossed the paddle on the table.

"Tough luck, Vega. Looks like you owe me a favor. I'll let you know when you have to pay up," I said, rounding the table and picking up my bag. She ran to retrieve the ping-pong ball then set it on the table next to the paddle she used. She was panting but smiling.

"Who said I would agree to that?" she asked, a hand on her hip.

"You agreed to it the moment you hit the ball," I answered, stopping to stand in front of her. She looked like she was about to argue, but then she chuckled and shook her head.

"Sure," she mumbled, turning away. We exited to the hall and silently walked back outside to the parking lot. Sikowitz was still there because we glanced him on the way out. He looked at us with furrowed brows, then something in the way he smiled and pointed at us made me question what he thought. I wrote it off but I could see that Vega was putting more thought into it. When we got to my car her hand went to her pocket but I stopped her. She tensed under my hand on hers and I quickly removed it, making sure to wipe it on my pants with disgust in my frown. Really I was fighting another blush while cursing at myself.

"Don't bother with Trina. Just get in the car and shut up. I don't want to hear you speak a word unless it's a goodbye when you get out of the car," I told her. I turned away before she could say anything, unlocked my car, and got in. I tossed my bag in the back then shot her a look through the windshield. She jumped to attention, scurrying to get into the passenger seat. Miraculously, she did as I told her. When I stopped outside her house she waved, said goodbye with a small smile, and then got out to head inside. I waited until she entered before driving off. I wondered if the little match between us shouldn't have happened, that I shouldn't have indulged, but then I told myself that Vega wouldn't bring it up so there was no reason to worry. With that, I stopped thinking about it and just concentrated on getting home.


	12. Cat's New Boyfriend

**~Tori~**

I hummed a tune to myself as I idly switched my books out of my locker to trade them with the ones I would need. I was really starting to get comfortable here now and the days seemed to fly by without a hugely random event happening, which was weird considering the gang usually gets into truly strange situations. Even Jade was oddly quiet and only decided to comment once in a while. Ever since that day at the restaurant she kept her distance from me. Maybe it affected her more than she let on? It sure affected me. I still thought about it when I was left to think too much. I shut my locker and turned away just in time to see someone I never thought I would again.

"Ah!" I screamed, eyes widening when they landed on him.

"Ah!" he reiterated, leaning away with an equally shocked expression. We stood there staring at each other a few seconds before I pointed at him.

"Danny," I stated. By addressing him he seemed to loosen up.

"Hey. You go to school here?" he questioned, taking a step closer.

"Yeah. You know I left Sherwood," I replied.

"Right, but I just…didn't know where…I mean, isn't this school for, like, **really talented** kids who…" he began to say as he looked around but let his words die out when he realized what he was implying. I only narrowed my eyes at him. Excuse me?

"I did **not** mean-" he tried to apologize but I cut him off.

"No, no, keep talking. You're doing great," I responded sarcastically, a bit offended. I belonged here, and it might have taken me some time to believe it, but now that I did, I didn't like that he was questioning it.

"Sorry," he apologized, looking down in that way I knew he meant it. So I decided to let him off the hook.

"It's cool," I allowed, dismissing the poor start to the conversation.

"So when did you get into performing?" he asked.

"Oh, see, my sister's tongue got all big and swollen and…here I am," I tried to explain, losing steam when I spotted Beck and Jade walk up out of the corner of my eye. Oh no. Jade was definitely going to have something to say about this. I just knew it. Danny chuckled at my explanation and I looked away, nervous about Jade being there.

"So who's that?" she questioned. And there it was. I looked to Danny then back to her.

"Uhhh, this is Danny," I answered, pointing a thumb at him.

"Hey," he greeted.

"'Sup," Beck returned. Jade, however, was above introductions and instead moved on to what I'm sure she felt were bigger and better things. It was like she knew before even being told.

"Why are you talking to Tori?" she inquired next, a hint of something to her voice I had trouble figuring out.

"He goes to my old school," I told her, avoiding the topic I did not want to bring up with her.

"Sherwood," he added. Beck remained simply curious but Jade crossed her arms and leveled a look at me I had no choice but to bend to.

"He…he was my boyfriend," I explained further, glancing at Danny.

"Girlfriend," he confirmed, pointing to me. That fake smile was now on Jade's face and inwardly I groaned. And we were doing so well staying out of each other's hair. That didn't last long.

"So why'd you dump her?" she questioned bluntly. Beck closed his eyes like he was bracing for a blow. He was mostly likely thinking the same thing as me, which was, why the heck did she have to do this all the time? I frowned at her.

"Jade," Beck began to warn her but she strode past him to come closer to me. She looked like she was on a mission. His jaw was set and her eyes were intent.

"Can I guess? 'Cause I've got a lot of guesses," she began, stopping to stand by me. She seemed to be up to no good but the look she shot Danny on the way over briefly looked like the one that appeared on her face when she caught Beck and I interacting more than she would like. That was odd, but I couldn't delve into that because she was soon back to that fake smile that assured me that she was going to make this more problematic than it should be.

"Um, actually…" Danny began. I shook my head, unwilling to let him say what I knew he would. Jade did not need that kind of information at her disposal.

"Y-you don't have to-" I stuttered, trying to cut him off.

"Tori broke up with me," he finished.

"Oh, and how did you celebrate?" Jade asked him, her overly innocent smile widening. Oh man. That meant she wasn't gonna let this drop. I turned to her.

"Do you ever take a day off?" I questioned. She just shrugged.

"Sooo, what'cha doin' here?" Beck verbally stepped in, trying to steer the conversation away from dangerous territory. Thank you Beck. Always the peacekeeper to Jade's destructive intentions.

"Yeah, what are you doing here?" I tacked on, curious but wanting to move on with the conversation.

"Well, I've kinda been dating this girl that, you know, goes here. And, uh, I was supposed to meet her-" he answered hesitantly, hands up and looking around. Jade was nodding along next to me and it put me on edge. I was starting to get a sinking kind of feeling for some reason. At that moment there was a delighted scream from the stairs.

"Daniel!" Cat shouted, running down to jump on Danny.

"Hey babe!" he greeted, catching her. They were quick to start kissing. My mouth hung open but Jade was pleasantly surprised while Beck shifted in slight discomfort. I could feel Jade's smirk spreading across her face as a frown worked its way onto mine. Cat and Danny broke apart and he set her down.

"This is the guy I've been telling you about! My boyfriend!" she exclaimed with a big smile while pointing to him happily. Cat's arm was wrapped around him as his arm was wrapped around her. That sinking feeling persisted. If only I knew beforehand who she had been talking about. I wondered if I had prepared then it wouldn't be so bad, but I don't think it would have made much of a difference. I closed my eyes to block out the devious intent radiating from Jade. She must think this was hilarious. God help me.

**~Jade~**

So this was one of Vega's ex-boyfriends, huh? He didn't look like much. I could at least admit to myself that when I saw him I was ready to make a fool of Vega in front of a potential boyfriend, but after learning that they had already dated, I was a mix of jealous and relieved. I mean, she went out with **that** guy? Now I was questioning her taste. I wanted to pick at her further just for making me feel conflicted but I also wanted the dude to feel uncomfortable to get back at him too. Vega dumped him, a fact I highlighted with a comment, but underneath that was interest. He obviously lacked something or they just weren't compatible if she dumped him instead of the other way around. But now the reason for his visit has been made known and I couldn't help but indulge in making Vega uncomfortable now that I was assured he wasn't a threat. It was enough to have Beck around. I didn't need him too. Vega groaned and I flashed her a smile at the turn of events. I had to get my kicks where I could after all. Beck could try all he wanted to curve my comments but it wouldn't stop me and I'm sure he knew it.

"Daniel, these are my friends; Beck, Jade, and that's Tori," Cat introduced.

"Yeah, we've met," Vega replied with a nod.

"Really? You know Daniel?" Cat answered, surprised. This was just the perfect time to make matters even worse for Vega. It was my specialty after all.

"Oh, she **knows** Daniel," I pointed out, a little suggestively yet too innocent to take seriously. I knew Vega would catch on but Cat wouldn't. To prove my point, Vega glared at me. I just smiled back at her.

"So," Vega began, looking to change the subject once again.

"So," Daniel repeated, hands raised while Cat hung off him none the wiser. I'd have to remedy that very soon.

"So," I added, dragging out the word as I glanced at Vega.

"How come everyone's being al weird?" Cat finally asked. I jumped to answer.

"I'll tell her," I volunteered with a hand raised.

"No you won't," Beck quickly admonished. I dropped my hand and pouted a little. Fine, Vega could do the honors. I listened to Beck this time, but only because either way, this would carry out the same. I just wanted to be able to do it.

"Cat, um, I used to go to Sherwood…with Danny…before I came to school here," Vega began, drawing the couple's attention to her. Daniel looked a little hesitant but Cat was still oblivious. It was only a matter of time now.

"Oh, so you guys are friends," she said with a smile. I just couldn't help getting in another jab at Vega's expense. I walked around to stand on her other side.

"Yeah, they were **good** friends," I said, putting extra emphasis on the word 'good'. Vega looked down, unable to dispute.

"I'm confused," Cat admitted, starting to fiddle with her hands now. I gave Vega a pointed look which she exchanged with one of hesitance, but she eventually began to explain.

"Danny and I used to date," she finally said. I smiled and nodded while Beck shifted his feet on her other side. Cat made a sound of shock, he mouth falling open. This was just too good. Beck must have caught on that I was enjoying myself a little too much for all the wrong reasons because he walked up to rest a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, why don't we walk over to some other location?" he suggested. I was reluctant to go but knew it was for the best. Things were as awkward as it could get now, right? So why stay?

"Ok, wait, so you and Tori, were like…" Cat tried to explain.

"Girlfriend," Daniel stated.

"Boyfriend," Tori returned. Man, I knew Cat was a little slow, but geez. Cat looked from one to the other, brows creased while I watched on. Beck sighed over my shoulder. He probably wanted to drag me away at this point so that I couldn't make it any worse.

"So…" Cat tried again.

"Please, don't feel weird about this," Daniel told her.

"You really shouldn't. I mean, we broke up a year ago," Tori supplied.

"Yeah, it's been a year," he agreed.

"It's only been eleven months," Tori corrected him, a bit terse.

"What difference does it make?" he retorted. Something told me things really didn't end as well as it could between them despite acting like nothing was wrong. And to think, I came to school assuming that it would be an uneventful day.

"Forget it! The point is, I'm totally cool with you guys dating," Tori snapped back at first but stepped away from the situation with a forced calm tone.

"And I'm totally cool that you two are friends," Daniel added.

"Well, ok then! It's all happy!" Cat said, going back to making googly eyes at Daniel. I rolled my own eyes and huffed out a breath. There goes the entertainment. Beck looked relieved that it hadn't escalated. He gave Tori a pat on the shoulder but I just pushed past them.

"I'm bored now," I stated with disappointment.

"I apologize for…her," I heard Beck say before following me. When he fell into step by my side he began reprimanding me for making the situation more awkward than it should have been. I only listened to what he had to say with half an ear. It was nothing new.

**~Tori~**

Okay, well, that could have gone worse than I was anticipating. Jade didn't make it all that bad. My past with Danny was tenuous at best but we weren't together anymore and all I wanted to do was move on with this. He had Cat now and I was so okay with that. Like, extra okay with it. Danny and I didn't really see eye to eye anyway. I glanced back at Jade with Beck following after her then turned back to Danny and Cat.

"So, how did you guys me-" I began, but my words abruptly died when I saw that they were a bit…preoccupied.

"Hey, do you guys wanna go-" I tried again, but this time turning back around to see Jade and Beck standing awfully close. I looked away just in case they decided to start sucking face too. Strangely, seeing them together was a far bitter taste to endure than Danny and Cat making out not too far way. I shook off my conflicted feelings, stuttering to speak, but then gave up and accepted that there was no point sticking around. I walked away with my head down. Why did I suddenly feel so alone? The rest of the day I spent away from Cat, just in case I said something unsavory while she talked about nothing other than Danny. After school I stayed pretty much in my room while Trina stayed busy with some new beauty thing she was trying out. I didn't see what it was but I could bet it wouldn't turn out good. I thought I heard Robbie at one point but maybe I was just hearing things.

* * *

Lunch at school = SALTY

FRENCH FRY TIME!

Mood = Hungry

* * *

The next day I felt better and the weird feelings that plagued me the day before had vanished. I returned to the daily grind, no worse for wear. I even sat next to Cat at lunch. Jade sat across from me and Beck sat between her and Cat.

"Hey, can you pass the salt?" I asked Jade without thinking. My fries needed just a little more.

"Why should I?" she responded, looking up from her food. Figures, but I wasn't going to let her get to me today.

"Because my French fries aren't salty enough," I answered simply. She sighed heavily, picked up the salt shaker, and set it down with slight force closer to me.

"Sorry to put you through that trouble," I jabbed, reaching out to pick it up. I was in the middle of applying it to my lunch when Danny showed up.

"Guess who?" he inquired, covering Cat's eyes from behind. I glanced up at him and almost instantly that feeling from yesterday was back. The look on Jade's face didn't make me feel any better. She already looked amused.

"Um, is it Beck?" Cat questioned seriously after a giggle. We all looked at her, wondering how she got that. He was sitting right next to her and sounded nothing like Danny.

"What?" I questioned aloud in disbelief. Jade's brows furrowed.

"I'm sitting right next to you," Beck spoke up, solidifying my thoughts. Cat reached out to unapologetically feel for his face.

"Yeah, hey Beck," she said while her fingers probed his face. He sat there with a slightly agitated expression but did nothing to stop her.

"She's feeling my face," he commented, pushing her away when her finger managed to find its way into his mouth as he talked. I glanced over at Jade to see her unresponsive to the display. How come she only got mad when I had anything to do with Beck? Why didn't she yell at Cat?

"No. No, it's me," Danny finally intervened, uncovering her eyes to lean over so that she could see him.

"Oh! Daniel!" she exclaimed, standing up enough to kiss him. I rolled my eyes and looked way, unwilling to let my thoughts make matters worse. I couldn't be jealous. That was just ridiculous. I was over him.

"What are you doing here?" Cat continued while taking her seat again. I happened to glance at Jade across the table and she returned my gaze with a knowing smile. It was like she knew what I was feeling. Well, Jade of all people should be pretty familiar with jealousy. Whoa, that wasn't nice. Um, well, but it was true. I looked away from her and concentrated on not letting it show.

"Well, I had a half day so I thought I'd come visit you for lunch," Danny answered, sitting down between Cat and Beck.

"Aww," Cat gushed. Jade brightened and I shot her a warning glance but she ignored me. I tried.

"Well this is so nice. Daniel gets to have lunch with his new girlfriend and his used girlfriend," she commented, gesturing from Cat to me. What was her problem? Why did she have to make everything difficult? But again, I wasn't going to let her get to me.

"You know, you can try to make this awkward but it's not gonna work, because unlike you, everyone at this table is mature," I informed her, jabbing a finger at her and then twirling it to include everyone else. Jade didn't look affected. She glanced at Beck and he gave her a look, exchanging words without saying anything as they usually did. She turned back to me, that infuriating smile still in place. It made me feel like I had to keep proving my point.

"And by the way, I dumped him, so ha!" I tacked on, crossing my arms to then lean on the table and rest my chin in my palm while I glared daggers at her. Maybe I shouldn't have said it so forcefully without thinking about how it would make Danny feel, but she just, ugh!

**~Jade~**

Look at poor Vega over there, trying to hide how much I got to her. She wasn't doing such a good job by the way she picked at her food and fell unnaturally quiet. She was always sunny and had so much to say that the difference was amusing. Why did she even care about him anyway? If it was so long ago then she should be over it, right? Whatever. It was too easy using it against her. Not to mention her scrunched up angry face was too hard not to want to see.

"So, did you invite Daniel to the kick-back?" I asked Cat, effortlessly moving on while Vega fumed silently. I could always manage to get her temper going even when she tried so hard to remain unaffected. She looked to Cat when I mentioned the kick-back, then she looked at me. Her expression tipped me off that she hadn't wanted Danny boy to know about it.

"Oh my god, I forgot," Cat replied.

"Kick-back?" Danny inquired, interested.

"Yeah. Once every semester the school lets us have a Saturday night party right here in the parking lot," Cat explained. Vega seemed to hunch over even more. I smiled and tucked myself under Beck's arm. He raised a brow at me but didn't question it. There was nothing wrong in messing with her just a little more, to see that we were all paired up at our table except for her. Good thing Robbie and Andre had some work to finish up.

"Live music. Cheese fountain," Beck joined in.

"Cheese fountain?" Danny questioned in disbelief.

"Cheddar," Cat told him with an approving nod.

"Will you come?" she asked.

"Yeah, totally," he accepted. Vega looked up at that, her frown still going strong, so I addressed her.

"Tori, will you be at the kick-back?" I inquired, my voice as well as smile fake. Her own features became just as feigned as mine.

"Yes, Jade. I will be," she answered. Oh, this was too fun.

"Ooh, guess what I made!" Cat suddenly announced, turning around to retrieve something from her bag.

"What did you make?" Daniel questioned, looking to her.

"Brownies!" Cat answered, presenting the treats that were sealed in a zip lock bag. A knowing, and maybe a big smug, smile appeared on Vega's face. This should be good.

"Wow!" Daniel exclaimed, looking pumped to try one.

"Sorry, Danny doesn't like brownies," Vega stated, leaning on her hand again. Cat looked conflicted for a moment and I watched on, interested to see what would happen next. I had a feeling Vega's comment was about to blow up in her face.

"Everyone likes brownies," Cat disagreed, reaching in to get one.

"Open," she commanded, shoving the treat in Daniel's mouth before he could say anything. It took him a moment to take a bite, chew, and then register it.

"Wow, these are really good," he remarked, much to Vega's dismay. Her eyebrows came together over her nose which scrunched up a little. I never tired of seeing her so wazzed off.

"What?!" she exclaimed, appalled and somewhat confused. So, I helped her to understand.

"He said Cat's brownie is **really** good," I repeated for her. I heard Beck sigh but smiled in accomplishment. Vega ran a hand through her hair.

"I made you brownies twice and you told me you didn't like brownies," she said, looking to Daniel.

"Yeah, but, Cat's are…" he began, only to gulp and fall silent. At least he had the good sense to shut up.

"Different," he finished after a long pause. Or maybe not. I could sense Vega flare up.

"Different how? What do you mean, different?" she demanded.

"Tori," he said, deflating. Now he's done it. It was a shame I didn't get her that angry this time but at least I had a hand in getting her there.

"Try one," Cat insisted, pulling out another one to give to her. She took it quickly and bit off half. We all watched her chew.

"How is it?" Beck wondered. She tossed the rest of it on her plate, her face still conveying her distaste in the situation.

"I gotta go," she grumbled, grabbing her stuff and getting up to walk away. I waved, smiling at the latest entertainment she provided. Cat started feeding Daniel the brownies and I wondered how Vega would have taken that should she still be here. The longer I sat with the sickeningly happy couple the more I began to wonder why Vega even liked the hipster wannabe at all. He wasn't a challenge, he gave in easily, half the time he didn't know what to say, and he didn't take initiative in anything. Vega deserved someone who was the opposite of all that. Someone like…well, there went my good mood.

**~Tori~**

I really hoped Danny didn't keep showing up at school or I was seriously going to reconsider hanging around Cat. I knew it was stupid to feel so jealous, especially since I didn't exactly know why, but at the same time I couldn't help it. It wasn't any easier with Jade's running commentary either. And what was up with hearing both Andre and Robbie downstairs a while after we got home? What did Trina have to do with it? I didn't really care to find out what hair-brained idea she had so I let it be. Whatever it was, hopefully my friends didn't pay to dearly for it. Trina had the worst ideas. Well, Jade must be getting to me more than I thought. Why was I even thinking about her at all? Oh boy. This had to stop.

* * *

My first KICK BACK at

Hollywood Arts. Funnnnn!

Mood = Partyish

* * *

The next day was the kick-back, and despite all that had been happening, I was feeling all right. The lively music was blasting and I danced a little before finding Sikowitz cooking on a barbecue that was styled like a car. I made my way over to him. I greeted him and he asked how I liked my first kick-back. It was fun. He offered me a sausage and I accepted. He almost made me not want to eat it when he leaned over to spear one, letting out an odd screeching noise. I furrowed my brows questioningly at his behavior but I was too used to his antics to wonder why he did it. Then he passed it to me. One bite and I was questioning the surprisingly good flavor. But when I asked him what kind of meat it was made from he burst out laughing. This time, he did concern me. What was he laughing about? He reached out and held my hand with his free one, dancing for a moment, then twirling me away. That was odd. I walked on and looked up just in time to see Cat and Danny dancing not too far away. I froze where I stood, unable to do anything else but stare.

"Daniel ever spin you like that?" Jade suddenly questioned me from my left. I looked at her. Not again. She was relentless, wasn't she? Just because she had Beck she was quick to make me feel horrible. She was lucky I wasn't mean enough to bring up the time she didn't have Beck. Who was there to help her, huh? I reined in my irritation to face her with some amount of calm.

"You wanna get slapped with a sausage?" I threatened her.

"Sure," she replied, leaning closer. For a split second I entertained the thought, but her answer quickly changed my mind.

"No, ya weirdo!" I exclaimed. She only shrugged.

"I might be weird but at least I'm not creepily staring at my ex dancing with another girl," she pointed out, taking a sip from the cup she held. I shot her a glare.

"I'm not staring. You just caught me at the wrong time," I grumbled, walking away. Unfortunately, she followed. Didn't she have anything better to do? I had heard something about Andre's foot feeling soft or something. That was right up her alley of weird. Why didn't she stop bugging me and go feel his foot with the rest of them?

"Well, it looked an awful lot like staring to me," she insisted. I rolled my eyes and wandered, hoping that if I didn't say anything she would eventually get bored and leave, but she remained.

**~Jade~**

This was just awesome. I got to bug Vega simply by following her around. I could tell just by the way she talked and held herself that she was annoyed. Things kept getting better when she stopped feet away from the snack table. Cat and Danny were together right next to the cheese fountain. My guess was they stopped to get something to eat and ended up making out. Weren't they a lovely couple? I glanced at Vega to see her eyes locked on them. Gears were turning, I could see it, but what was she thinking about? I looked back at the couple and then at her, suddenly all too aware of how she must be feeling. I wasn't really a sentimental person, but I knew Vega was jealous and conflicted. I thought back to when Beck and I broke up. I felt horrible yet Vega helped me through it. Maybe I could offer some…advice?

"You know, I'm kind of surprised they even have a cheese fountain. Last year someone messed with the valve and cheese exploded **everywhere**. It sucked for the person but it was riot to see happening. Or, so I heard. I didn't go," I spoke up, watching Vega out of the corner of my eye. Her shoulders seemed to square as well as her jaw. Without a word she left my side to march over to the table. I watched as she wrenched the valve up high and then backed up just as cheese shot out, catching Cat and Danny right in the face. Cat squealed in shock. I resisted the urge to smile. I didn't think Vega had it in her, or that she caught on to my train of thought so easily. It was all on her though. I didn't directly tell her to do it. Sikowitz rushed over to stop the machine and everyone looked to the cheese drenched couple. Both questioned Vega who stood there at a loss for words before running off. Her voice had been cracking and I had a feeling she was close to tears. Beck came up to stand next to me.

"See! This is what happens when you mix teenagers and hot cheese! I warned you!" Sikowitz stated loudly for all to hear. Lane stood next to him, shaking his head. Beck tapped me on the shoulder and I looked to him.

"Come on. We should make sure she's ok," he said. I groaned but gave in when he took me by the hand and practically dragged me away. He didn't have to pull me along once we were inside and I spotted her. We gave chase and entered the Black Box Theater, seeing nothing but left out props.

"Tori! Yo, Tori!" Beck called.

"We saw you run in here," I said, raising my voice.

"What's with all that stuff?" Beck asked, pointing to the tent and other props.

"Sinjin and his friends are doing some play about a camping trip gone wrong," I answered.

"Gone wrong?" he wondered.

"They end up eating each other. I don't know," I replied as I paced, keeping an eye out for Vega. Beck began calling for her again, walking around as I had done. I spotted the tent move slightly. Oh, there she was. I picked up a nearby broom and chucked it at the tent.

"Ow!" Vega exclaimed. I smiled and sauntered closer just as Beck flipped on the lights then walked over.

"Tori, come out to play," I taunted, my hands on my hips. The tent unzipped to reveal Vega, a frown still stuck on her face. Why did she still have that sausage?

"Leave me alone," she mumbled.

"What up with the hot cheese attack on Cat?" Beck asked.

"And her boyfriend, Daniel," I added in, unable to keep from teasing her. Vega climbed out of the tent to stand with some difficulty. Her explanation should be well worth hearing. I had to admit I was curious what was going through her head.

"I don't know. I mean, I'm so not the jealous type. I've never ever done anything like that before, but, seeing my ex-boyfriend making out with Cat I just, just lost it for a second, and the next thing I knew my hand was on the cheese valve," she explained. It wasn't much but it was enough. Huh, and I expected her to add in something about me pushing her into it or even blaming me for giving her the idea. Instead, she owned up to it. Or did I have anything to do with it at all? What if she hadn't even heard me and had the plan stewing in her head without any influence from me? Hm, and I thought she wasn't capable of such things unless she was getting back at her sister. Interesting.

**~Tori~**

I still couldn't believe that I did that. I couldn't even fully put the blame on Jade either. I heard what she said but her words were more of an encouragement than an idea. I shamefully already came up with it before she even said anything. And I did it! I did something someone as mean as Jade would do! I probably would have done it even if she hadn't said anything. Why? Well, while wallowing in the tent before I was rudely interrupted, I realized that, yes, I was jealous, but not because Cat was with Danny. I was jealous of what they had. I haven't had a relationship with anyone since him, and to see he happily moved on while I had no one struck a nerve. But I couldn't blame any of them. Danny and I just didn't work out. He and Cat seemed to work fine. I should be happy for them both. I looked to Jade and found myself wondering how she was fairing since getting back together with Beck. Were they doing better or the same? Why did I even care? I couldn't see her with anyone but Beck, after all. But maybe…no. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and then sighed.

"Ugh, I have to go apologize to them," I decided, moving to leave. I stopped to set down the sausage on a chair, glanced at Beck and Jade, and then left. I had to right this wrong.

* * *

I did bad things with hot

Cheese. Uck, WHY?!

Mood = Upset

* * *

I made my way down the halls, checking each bathroom that I passed in hopes I would find Cat or see Danny. I entered the main hall and found him coming out of the bathroom, his hair wet. Cat must not have gotten all the cheese off yet. I took a breath and then called to him. He stopped to look back at me. He greeted me in a monotonous manner. I asked where Cat was and he told me she was still trying to get cheese out of her ear. I groaned, feeling worse.

"Alright, listen. I have no idea why I did that," I told him, unable to explain my conflicted emotions. He hadn't really been good at understanding anyway.

"Were you jealous?" he asked.

"No," I asserted with a shake of my head.

"'Cause it doesn't make sense for you to be jealous. **You** broke up with **me**," he continued. I knew that, but I also had a better understanding of my actions than I did before. I wasn't about to let him know that though. He had moved on. I couldn't want something I couldn't have.

"I know. It makes zero sense," I agreed, walking over to sit on the steps.

"I guess it's just a dumb…girl thing," I concluded. There was nothing else to say.

"Like, wearing a skirt over jeans?" he remarked, taking a seat next to me.

"Yeah, what's up with that?" I wondered, truly confused. Sometimes I really didn't understand some people's fashion sense.

"I mean, are you maybe still…into me?" he asked. I looked at him.

"No," I answered, shaking my head. He nodded and looked away.

"Not at all. And I love Cat. She's like the sweetest thing ever, and, I'm psyched you guys are going out. I guess it's…it's just…" tried to explain but fell flat. I looked to him and remembered the time we first met. He was a jerk. He played jokes on me and teased me and he was more of a punk than a hipster. He played at mean but he could be sweet. I started talking to him more often and then hung out with him. When we shared our first kiss I realized that I liked him and he admitted to liking me since we had met. As our relationship went along we began to fight a lot after a while. We couldn't seem to agree. We each had our differences and it wasn't going to change. I saw that and broke it off before we outright hated each other. I began to wonder if we really even liked each other to begin with or just liked the idea of being together, since he liked teasing me and I liked to see his softer side. It was kind of like how Jade and I acted now…

Silence seemed to surround me as I stared at Danny and he stared back at me; that last thought weighing heavily on me. I didn't know what he was thinking, but suddenly, my thoughts were far from him. Instead, I entertained thoughts of Jade and I as potential girlfriends. Holy chiz, was it surreal. I mean, I could accept finding her pretty and enjoyed how nice she could be, but finding her attractive in the way of wanting to date her? That was another thing entirely. Or was it? Would going out with Jade turn out the same as it had with Danny? Or would it even work out at all? Call it curiosity, but this time, when I looked at Danny, I imaged him to be Jade. Just for a moment I imagined her color streaked hair, fair skin, clear eyes, and taunting smirk. Without thinking, I leaned in, and she leaned in too. Our lips met and didn't part until I heard a door open and swing shut followed by a squeak that sounded a lot like Cat.

I pulled away, seeing Danny once more and knowing what I had done. Then I spun around to face Cat. She stood there, devastated. I pulled up on the railing of the stairs and Danny jumped to his feet behind me. We both tried to let her know that what happened wasn't what she had seen, well, at least on my side, but she only let out a shocked sound that we repeated. No words came to her, no matter how hard she tried. She choked on a sob then ran off. Both Danny and I tried to call her back but she was long gone. At that moment, Robbie came down the stairs to babble about the sausages Sikowitz was passing out but I wasn't listening. I went looking for Cat to apologize and instead I made things worse. I had to find her and apologize double now. But when I went looking for her I couldn't find her. She most likely went home. I sighed and decided that I was done for tonight too. But I would find her first thing at school and apologize if I didn't manage to get a hold of her tomorrow.

**~Jade~**

Why was I wasting my day at Vega's house again? Oh, that's right, because we heard about these weird fish that eat away the dead skin on your foot, leaving it smooth as a baby's bottom, that's why. Trina had done it followed by Robbie and then Andre. Now Beck and I sat on the counter with the tank under our feet which we rested on the edge. We were both staring down at the tank full of little fish with trepidation. I couldn't really be blamed for questioning anything the talentless Vega did. After seeing how many times things backfired on her I had to be cautious. Beck and I glanced to the three sitting there staring back at us with idiotic smiles.

"You sure this is safe?" Beck asked them.

"We all did it," Robbie answered. Andre and Trina nodded.

"Does it hurt?" I questioned hopefully, glancing down at the tank of fish again.

"Nope," Andre replied.

"Aww," I pouted, losing hope. There was such thing as good pain after all. Beck never seemed to get that, which was why he looked at me like I was crazy. He should know by now, seriously.

"Come on, if you want your feet to feel baby soft," Trina encouraged.

"Ok, I have left her five voicemails and twelve text messages. Why won't Cat talk to me?" Vega whined as she came stomping down the stairs to stand in front of us.

"'Cause you squirted hot cheese in her ear," Andre answered like it was obvious.

"And played smooch face with her boyfriend," Robbie added.

"Those things upset some girls," I joined in, my hand resting in my palm. She frowned.

"You wanna try the pukka fish?" the older Vega asked her.

"You got rice and soy sauce?" Vega responded.

"No," Trina replied.

"Then **no**," Vega stated, turning away to march back upstairs. She was feisty when she was upset. It was kind of annoying but admirable in a way. I wondered if I could get a little more fun in. That sounded better than sticking my feet in a tank of fish. I didn't really need smooth feet anyway.

"Ok guys, do it," Trina insisted. The others urged us on too.

"Ok, you know what, I don't need this. Have fun, Beck," I stated, sliding from my perch to the floor.

"Where are you going?" he questioned. I shrugged and smiled over my shoulder but gave him no answer as I headed for the stairs.

"Jade," he warned, his voice alone telling me that what I had in mind better not be of the bad variety. I assured him with a shake of my head.

"I know," I tossed over my shoulder. I climbed the stairs at a leisurely pace and reached the top just as I heard him enjoying the feeling of what I think was termed 'a million tiny fish kisses'. Whatever that meant. I made my way down the hall only to stop when I saw Vega sitting in the middle of it, her back to the wall. Her head was tipped back with her eyes closed and she still held her phone in her hand. I quietly padded over and took a seat next to her. She must have felt worse than she let on because she slowly slid over and rested her head on my shoulder, all without saying a word. It caught me by surprise and I was seconds from pushing her away but then she started mumbling, her words muffled by my shoulder. I caught something along the lines of an apology and how she wasn't thinking clearly. She said it wasn't about Danny or even Cat and she felt confused. I thought I heard my name but I couldn't really hear. She then let out a long-suffering groan and fell quiet. I let her work through whatever it was she was going through before clearing my throat pointedly. She sat up and leaned back against the wall again.

"Sorry," she murmured, almost as inaudible as the previous rant.

"It's…whatever," I replied, leaning back against the wall too, closing my eyes.

"What are you doing up here anyway?" she questioned. I shrugged, my shoulder brushing hers.

"I guess letting fish eat dead skin off my foot is more of a time waster than talking to you," I responded.

"Gee, thanks," she groused. I chuckled.

"No, but seriously, I thought that you might…you know," I stammered, hating that I couldn't get the truth out.

"I don't know. I guess you'll just have to tell me," she responded, amusement in her tone. I looked over to see a small smile. I rolled my eyes.

"You probably don't want my company anyway," I said, looking away. She inhaled and then let it all out in a big exhaled sigh. Her hands fell from their place on her lap so that her right hand, the one not holding her phone, landed next to my left hand.

"Who says?" she asked, a bit playful. I allowed a small smile but didn't reply.

"Thanks," she said after a few seconds spent in silence. She seemed to know why I was there without me having to say it. She shifted so that the index and middle finger of her right hand crossed over and barely curled around the index and middle finger of my left hand. My eyes snapped over to her and I turned my head enough to see what I had felt. My eyes then flicked to Vega's face. She was watching me with what I felt might be something like hope. A light blush dusted her cheeks. I shrugged lazily and acted like the gesture hadn't affected me. I looked away and closed my eyes again.

"Sure," I finally responded. I heard her let out a relieved sigh. We sat like that for a while longer then I had to go when Beck was ready to head out. I didn't say anything when I stood to follow him out the door. I tried to listen as he talked about the foot smoothening fish, but really, my thoughts revolved around the conflicted younger Vega.

**~Tori~**

As if sharing a…moment, for lack of a better word, with Jade wasn't weird enough, it also made it a little easier to wait out the time until school the next day. As soon as I arrived I searched for Cat, but she was nowhere to be found. The day was slowly slipping through my fingers and then I wouldn't get to talk to her until tomorrow. How long could this even last?

* * *

Cat Cat Cat

Cat CAT…PLEASE stop avoiding

Me! WE GOTTA TALK.

Mood = Desperate

* * *

Half the day was already gone and yet Cat still eluded me. I had to stop by my locker to change out some folders and books. When that was done, I slammed my locker shut and turned to see her peeking around the corner. I dropped everything at the sight of her.

"Cat! I need to talk to you!" I shouted as I chased her down the hall. She screamed along the way. I chased her up the stairs through fellow students and then back down. I caught up to her in the hall and grabbed her by the arm, our jumbled argument bouncing off each other without effect. I wrestled her in place, my grip on her wrist tight.

"Let go!" she ordered.

"No! We have to go talk!" I refused. We had the attention of every student in the hall now.

"I don't wanna talk to you!" she yelled, throwing herself on the floor. I tried to pick her up but she just laid there, dead weight. I tried coaxing her to her feet but she only yelled for a teacher. Sikowitz came around the corner, and I thought he would break us up, but then he greeted us like it was an everyday thing and said something about tickets. He walked right past us.

"Alright," I concluded, dropping her arm to grab her by her ankle. I began dragging her down the hall, aiming for the janitor's closet. She complained and tried to get away the best she could but I kept going. I pushed the door open, assured everyone watching that it was all fine, and then tugged her the rest of the way inside. I then hurriedly shut the door and blocked it while she righted herself.

"Let me out," she demanded with a point of her finger.

"Cat," I began.

This is kidnapping. Or, catnapping," she corrected, her angry expression lightening temporarily with her sudden laughter which she covered with her hand. Even at a time like this she couldn't remain serious. But soon she was back to business.

"Open the door!" she shouted. I moved to grab her by the shoulders.

"I'm sorry! And I'm not just saying 'I'm sorry'. I'm really, seriously, sorry," I told her, trying my best to make sure she understood how sincere I was.

"You sprayed cheese on me and then kissed my boyfriend," she muttered sadly. I sighed and dropped my hands.

"Yeah. Yeah I did," I accepted, brushing back my hair which had fallen in my face during the struggle. I looked away.

"Why would you be mean to me?" she questioned. I looked back at her, wondering if I could explain what really happened. It was Cat. She would understand, right? Or maybe not. I didn't want to risk it. Especially since this was all so new even to me, so I took a different route.

"I don't know. Maybe I did still have a few tiny little feelings left for Danny. And maybe that's why I went a little crazy. Seeing you two being all mushy together," I replied as honestly as I could while fiddling with my fingers. I couldn't meet her eyes while I explained.

"You could've just talked to me about it," she replied, sounding so hurt without a trace of her usual bubbly personality.

"I know. What I did was terrible and awful and immature and you have every right to be furious with me. I swear, Cat, if I were you I would just punch me right in the face," I said, downcast. I kept my eyes on the ground so I didn't expect or see the incoming fist colliding with my nose until it was too late.

"Ow!" I shouted, holding my hands over it.

"Cat!" I exclaimed, my throbbing nose impeding my speech.

"What?" she wondered innocently.

"You just punched me in the face," I stated incredulously.

"You said to," she replied, truly believing it.

"I know, but that's just something people say when- ow!" I cried out, my nose now pulsing with pain while I pressed a hand to it. Cat looked concerned now.

"Does it hurt?" she inquired.

"A lot. I think my nose may be broken," I whined.

"Well now I feel all bad," Cat stated worriedly.

"Don't. I deserved it. Feel better?" I told her, hoping that she did. She thought about it a moment.

"I think so," she responded, dropping her nervously wringing hands to offer me a smile.

"I'm sorry," I said one more time, raising my free hand up for a hug. She stepped closer to accept it. When we parted, my relief quickly turned into worry for my damaged nose. The pain wasn't getting any better.

"Will you take me to a hospital now?" I asked her. She smiled and flipped her hair.

"Sure," she said, moving to open the door.

"Thank you," I mumbled, walking out while she held the door open with a flourish of her hand. When we got to the hospital, a quick check-up from a nurse told me it wasn't likely to be broken. I was asked what happened and told her I fell on something hard. Cat added that it was a rock. The nurse gave me a look but accepted the obviously made up story. She then told me that they would check using an x-ray just in case. She pointed for us to take a seat and wait. We moved to comply but stopped when we heard familiar voices behind a big curtain along with various coughs and groans. Cat backtracked to the opening and pulled back the curtain.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed. I rushed over.

"What?" I questioned, rounding the curtain and stopping by her when I saw our ill friends. All of them looked horrible except for Jade who stood by Beck with her arms crossed and a glare on her face directed at Trina who coward under it. What happened now?

**~Jade~**

This was all that no good talentless Vega's fault. I swear, I wanted to strangle her right about now. The only thing keeping me from going through with it was the simple fact that Vega was her sister and it would hurt her to do so. I mean, who was that stupid? It was illegal for a reason. I was pretty much glad that I decided to ditch them. Even if it was to comfort Vega. I sighed and looked to her when I heard her voice join Cat's exclamation.

"Whoa," she stated.

"You all look awful," Cat commented.

"What happened?" Vega questioned.

"Ask your sister," I spat, looking at her and then Trina who coughed heavily.

"Ew!" Vega exclaimed, a look of disgust on her face.

"It seems they all have myroleticulitis, an infectious attack on the central nervous system that can be very dangerous unless treated immediately," the doctor explained, walking over.

"How'd they get it?" Vega asked him.

"I have no idea. It's very rare in America," he replied. He looked to our friends.

"Have any of you recently gone swimming in the Zingu River near Puerto Iguasu?" he inquired. Trina's guilty expression gave her away.

"Trina," Beck said.

"What?" she replied.

"Tell him," he commanded.

"Ok, I bought some illegal pukka fish from a guy in a van," she confessed. Vega rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Pukka fish? For feet smoothening?" the doctor questioned in disbelief.

"Yeah," Trina replied in a small voice.

"Do you know how dangerous that is? The saliva of the pukka fish is riddled with toxins and bacteria," he told her.

"But feel our feet," she insisted. I rolled my eyes this time. She kicked out her foot and the doctor reluctantly moved to feel them.

"Yes, I realize that they can nibble away all of the…wow. They're really soft. Nurses, feel these kids' feet. Everyone," he said in awe. The nurses complied and Cat walked over to feel Trina's feet before moving on to the others. Vega passed by to feel Beck's feet, marveling at the texture before stopping to stand by me.

"It's a good thing you came to comfort me instead of sticking your feet in a tank full of questionable fish, huh?" she teased. I huffed out a breath but nudged her.

"Yeah, whatever," I replied. She smiled and leaned on my shoulder.

"Don't push it Vega, or I'll make you massage my feet. They aren't nearly as pleasant as the others'," I threatened.

"I doubt they're all callousy either," she countered. I raised a brow at that and looked to her.

"Does that mean you'll do it?" I questioned. She pulled a face.

"You wish," she responded, looking away. I allowed a small smile and uncrossed my arms. As soon as my hands dropped to my sides, she curled her two fingers around mine like she had before. I adamantly pretended like I didn't notice. She and I stayed a little longer to make sure our friends and her sister was okay. She contacted her parents and then we went our separate ways, parting from each other's side without a word. I didn't know what this unspoken thing between us was, but I wasn't complaining. She obviously didn't have a problem with it either. I had to admit, it was…nice.


	13. Freak The Freak Out

**~Tori~**

Nothing like a good, relaxing, shower; besides the million and one thoughts that seem to barge into my head almost every time I have a moment to myself. I didn't even want to admit that most of those thoughts seemed to revolve around Jade. Was it just me or she had slightly more nice days than bad? Or maybe I was just getting used to her. I actually laughed at a snide joke she made just the other day. I must be crazy because usually something that rude would upset me. But I'm glad that we're moving closer to becoming friends. She hadn't said it yet but I could tell she was as much a friend to me as I was to her, even if we still got into arguments. It was way better than before. I stepped out of the shower and got dressed then made my way downstairs while drying my hair.

"Yeah, I love glow-in-the-dark mini golf," Trina said. I looked over to see her talking on the phone. Who was she talking to? And was that **my** phone? I walked over to investigate.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know the place. Ok, see you there!" she continued with a note of excitement as she hung up. I rounded the couch to get closer to her. She spun around and let out a scream when she saw me standing behind her. I just raised a suspicious brow at her and then narrowed my eyes while draping the towel over my shoulder.

"Why were you on my phone?" I inquired.

"I wasn't," she quickly replied. She hastily tossed it on the couch like I hadn't seen it in her holding it, let alone using it. I glanced from the phone to her.

"Do you think I didn't just see you toss my phone on the couch?" I asked her.

"Why is your hair wet?" she suddenly questioned, reaching out to touch it. I knew she was trying to change the subject. It was obvious and poorly executed.

"Because I just washed it," I snapped back. I pushed her hand away, set down the towel, and then walked around her to pick up my phone. I tapped through to the call log and gasped.

"Mark McCallen called me?" I exclaimed. I had talked to him for a while one day at school. I ended up giving him my number in hopes that he would call.

"Did he?" Trina replied, acting dumb.

"Oh, my god. Cat said he was gonna call me but I didn't think he'd call me. He called me?! Well, what did he want?" I rambled in disbelief, looking to my sister.

"Well, he wanted to know if you could go play glow-in-the-dark mini golf with him on Friday night. So I told him you were busy. But don't worry, I'm going!" she replied. I stared at her in outrage. How dare she?

"I have no plans Friday night!" I told her, throwing out my arms.

"Well, now you can make some!" she said with a smile. She walked away but I wasn't having it. I threw my phone back on the couch and then ran for the tripod holding the camera she was most likely using to take pictures of herself. It was the closest and biggest thing I was able to pick up.

"I'll make some with this!" I growled, snatching it up.

"Dad!" she screeched, running.

"Hold still!" I yelled, chasing her around the couch.

"Hey!" our dad's booming voice shouted as he ran to stop me. When did he get home? He held his arm out to block me and I skid to a stop. Darn it. I was so close to hitting her too.

"Somebody call a cop?" he questioned, looking from Trina to me.

"She was gonna hit me with that," Trina said with a point of her finger at me.

"Tori! This is my brand-new camera," he scolded, taking it from me. Trina gaped like a fish out of water that he cared more for the camera than her wellbeing. He turned away to set it aside.

"Well she stole Mark McCallen from me!" I accused.

"The kisser?" he asked, glancing at us. What?

"I thought you had plans on Friday night!" Trina tried to cover up. Yeah, right.

"No you didn't! She jacked my date!" I screamed, looking from her to our dad.

"I did not jack your date!" she yelled.

"You did!" I shouted back. Our voices rose and overlapped as we began converging on each other with our dad between us. He was trying to get us to stop but I was in no mood to.

"Hey, hey, whoa, whoa, whoa!" he began calmly before raising his voice over ours. He held out his arms to push us further back again.

"You're not going anywhere next Friday night," he told Trina.

"Ha! Why isn't she?" I began strong but paused and then looked to him.

"Because she's getting her wisdom teeth out on Friday afternoon," he explained.

"Aw, I forgot!" she complained. I laughed.

"You have to get your teeth ripped out! Ha ha, ha ha ha," I taunted. Yeah, it might not be all that mature of me to do, but I just had to.

"It's not that big a deal," Trina stated, playing at unconcerned.

"Uh, yeah it is," Dad said. That stopped her from walking away.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"It's mouth surgery. I mean, you're going to be in some pretty serious pain for a couple of days," he told her. I celebrated with a few fist pumps.

"Well, you and mom are going to take care of me, right?" she inquired, a hint of worry in her tone.

"We would, but we're going to be in Santa Barbara," he replied.

"Awww, who's going to have a long and painful weekend? Hmm? I think it's you!" I continued to taunt, pointing at her. Dad turned around to face me. The look on his face gave me pause.

"You're going to be taking care of her," he stated.

"What?" I exclaimed. I didn't see that coming. It was Trina's turn to laugh. I scowled.

"Ha ha, ha ha ha! Tori's gotta take care of me!" she sang while getting in my face.

"You know, you could have your wisdom teeth taken out right now," I told her, voice overly calm.

"How?" she wondered. I didn't give her any time to react and lunged, my hands aiming for her mouth. I was going to painfully yank those suckers out here and now.

"No, Tori!" she cried, trying to fend me off. She pushed me away and ran for the stairs but I chased after her, our dad trying to get us to stop, but neither of us were listening. She managed to make it to her room before I could get a hold of her again. I stomped my foot and walked away. Hopefully going back to school and hanging out with the gang would make the inevitable Friday night babysitting a little better. I tried not to think about it as I worked my way through the week but it nagged at me from the back of my mind. While I watched Andre and Cat act out a scene in Sikowitz's class, where we had moved to the Black Box Theater, I still kept thinking about it. If only I was just forcefully removed from home so that I didn't have a choice but leave Trina on her own. I glanced over at Jade sitting not too far away next to Beck. She didn't look unhappy today. Maybe I could ask her to pretend to kidnap me, or even really kidnap me. Either way I just didn't want to have to deal with Trina. I tuned back into the scene which was beginning to get pretty suspenseful what with the deadly spider Andre was trying to remove from Cat's eye. We all leaned forward, and then my phone rang, startling the whole class. I cringed.

"And the ringing is back!" Sikowitz shouted, smacking at his ears. I hurriedly pulled it out to silence it while he freaked out until everyone called to him.

"That was a phone," Robbie told him.

"Who's?" he questioned with crossed arms, stopping to stand by me.

"Mine," I groaned, slumping in my chair.

"Tori," he reprimanded.

"I swear I thought I had it on vibrate," I tried to explain.

"Class is no place for swearing or vibrating," he replied, raising a finger for each. I frowned and put it away.

"Maybe we should start the scene over?" Andre suggested, still using the accented voice he was using for the scene.

"Can we?" Cat asked. Sikowitz walked down the aisle of chairs to them.

"No, Cat. By now that spider would have bitten your character's eyeball and you would be dying a slow, spastic, painful, death," he answered, crouching down in front of them to pack up the props and then handing them to her.

"Thanks a lot, Tori," she said, taking them from him but looking at me. I raised a brow but had nothing to say. Sikowitz stood up and turned to the class.

"Well, we have about four minutes left. Why don't we all chat about our weekend plans?" he announced, glancing at his wrist to tell the time from a watch that wasn't there. What plans? My plans? I have no plans besides watching Trina. At the returned thought I groaned and slid down further in my chair.

**~Jade~**

All day something had been weighing on Vega. I couldn't really tell what it was but it had to do with that annoying sister of hers, I just knew it. I looked away from her to Sikowitz who began with Robbie. He assumed that he had no plans and the stuttering nerd confirmed it. That wasn't new and everyone knew it. Oddly enough, yet expected, was that Rex was going to party with some girls from Northridge. That wasn't strange at all. Nope. Perfectly normal. Cat jumped up from her seat on the floor.

"Hey, guess what Jade and I are doing tonight?" she began cheerfully. Silence fell so she kept going.

"There's this new place in Los Feliz, it's called Karaoke Dokie, and they have singing competitions on the weekends. So Jade and I are going to do a song," she shared.

"I'm picking the song," I demanded, making sure she knew. It was better that way.

"Jade's picking the song," Cat repeated with a flourish of her arms. Robbie asked to go and Cat accepted. Rex didn't necessarily agree with him and they started to fight. As always.

"Aw, I wish I could go to Karaoke Dokie," Vega groaned from her seat and then stood up with her hands on her hips.

"Why can't you?" Beck wondered. I shot him a look, wondering if he was generally curious or was planning something again.

"Who cares why she can't," I remarked.

"I was just wondering why she-" he began, but I cut across him.

"What, you need Tori around to have a good time. Is that your point?" I inquired tersely. I hated that my inner thoughts seemed to pick that particular question.

"Dude," Beck stated.

"What?" I exclaimed.

"Jade. You are lucky to have Beck. Don't be such a gank," Sikowitz butted in. I looked up at him with a frown. He had a point, but I wasn't going to admit it. I looked away, catching Beck holding in a laugh out of the corner of my eye. Vega was most likely giving me a pointed look so I just kept my gaze forward.

"So, why can't you come?" Cat asked Vega. Yeah, why couldn't she go?

"Ugh, Trina is getting her dumb wisdom teeth out today and guess who gets to spend the entire weekend taking care of her?" Vega answered. The poor schmuck. I'm guessing it was her.

"Ok, um, is it someone famous?" Cat guessed. Everyone looked at her funny, I rolled my eyes, and Vega scowled.

"No, me!" she responded.

"Why can't your parents take care of her?" Andre questioned.

"'Cause they're going to be in Santa Barbara," she answered.

"What for?" he asked next.

"So they don't have to take care of Trina," Vega replied. She said it so straightforward, like it was an everyday thing. If I was her I wouldn't stand for it. Heck, even she didn't deserve to be stuck with Trina.

"Can't blame them," Beck pointed out. I nodded.

"Sucks to be you," I added.

"Gank," she retorted, leveling an impressive glare at me. I frowned right back at her, feeling slightly offended, but also not as angry as I should be. I looked away from her. Just then the bell rang and Sikowitz spazzed again.

"Now whose phone is that?" he demanded.

"That's the bell," Andre said.

"Oh…bye!" he said, running for the exit after collecting his things. We all followed suit. The rest of the day passed by, surprisingly with some texts from Vega. She must be feeling really cruddy to even consider holding a conversation with me. Ever since that time I called her and my number was blocked she asked me for it so that she knew it was me and not some random stranger. I complied, but only because I wanted to know when her number popped up so I knew which calls to ignore. I reminded her about the day we played darts for some reason. I guess I was trying to cheer her up. Maybe. Anyway, she mentioned pegging Trina in the tooth and how ironic it was that we had been talking about knocking them out.

Now she was getting them pulled. I told her she should have just done it so that she might not have to be in this situation. She said she tried to tear them out right then and there when she was told that she had to watch her, but unfortunately Trina got away, seeking shelter in her room for the rest of the day. I taunted that she had an aggressive side and she told me that I shouldn't try to make her feel bad, especially if I agreed with her actions; even if I wasn't going to admit it. Damn. She was catching on. I liked and hated it. The conversation ended around my last class of the day and I left school looking forward to tonight. I hadn't really had time to just relax and hang out. Without Vega around it should be less tense at least.

**~Tori~**

* * *

OMG. Trina just got her wisdom

teeth out. MOUTH BLOOD!

BLECCHH

Mood = Disgusted

* * *

Our parents dropped us off at home and then sped off way too quickly. It was like they couldn't wait to get away. Rude. I was left with a whining Trina who was half loopy from the pain medication as well as the pain. From the trip out of the car and then the car to the front door I could already see that this was going to be horrible. I wrestled the door open while keeping Trina on her feet, then shuffled inside. I tried asking her for some help getting her to the couch but she was too out of it. She still thought that she had to get her wisdom teeth pulled. It was useless. I told her that they were already out and then tried to push her on the couch but she wanted her bed. It was upstairs though and I really didn't want to have to drag her up there. She pulled at my hair and demanded it so I gave in and started making my way to the stairs. I ended up dropping her because she didn't want to stand on her own for a second so I bent over to grab her by the ankles and hauled her up. Yeah, it was a little on the man handling side, but she wasn't making it easy. Plus, I had to get her to sleep before I lost even more patience.

**~Jade~**

I sat at a table with Beck, Andre, and Cat while Robbie and Rex sung a duet of Forever Baby up on the stage. It was ridiculously entertaining. Also, I was not wondering how miserable Vega was. Ok, maybe a little. It sucked that I couldn't fully enjoy that. The song ended and everyone clapped. We cheered for him from our table. Robbie thanked the audience and Rex dedicated the song to the two Northridge chicks he brought along that were sitting at a separate table.

"I'm going to get a soda," I said, grabbing my cup and then getting up.

"Get me one?" Andre asked.

"No," I declined, walking away. While waiting for my turn I heard the emcee talking about Robbie's performance. He probably wasn't going to like being called a ventriloquist. I sighed, hating the line of people, and decided to bug Vega. I wasn't checking up on her or anything. I sent her a taunting text that she was quick to reply to. Trina was a nuisance and she didn't want to deal with her anymore. Apparently, even in her sleep she complained. I chuckled and offered to spring her out of there. I was surprised to get her reply. She said that getting kidnapped by me wouldn't be nearly as bad. How should I even take that?

So, I decided to ignore it for now. I was next anyway. I got my soda and then began retracing my steps back. I froze halfway there when I saw two chicks sitting at our table. What were **they** doing there? The brunette was talking to Beck and she was way too close. I growled and began stomping over. Even if I was ready to move on, I sure as hell wouldn't let someone like that hook up with Beck. He deserved better than her sub-par flirting skills. But Beck stopped her every time, and I smirked at that. It was time to reprise my role as jealous and possessive girlfriend. I stopped to stand a little ways away from our table.

"Um, Miss? He has a girlfriend," Cat told the brunette.

"I don't see her," she stated, uncaring. I gritted my teeth but kept my cool.

"Turn around," I spoke up, taking a sip from my drink just as she did so.

"Now you see her," I continued, staring her down. Her eyes appraised me, still comfortably seated where she shouldn't be.

"I don't see much," she sneered. I glared daggers at her. She stood up, trying to intimidate me, but I didn't back down. I wouldn't hesitate to threaten or even knock her out. She was messing with the wrong person. Cat, Andre, and Beck seemed to sense the rising danger because they stood too.

"Ok, um, did you know that Karaoke comes to us from the Japanese?" Andre questioned, trying to steer the situation away from dangerous waters. I crossed my arms, my glare still leveled on the brunette.

"Yeah, how great is Japan?" Beck joined in, fidgeting.

"Good people," Andre remarked with a nod.

"Hey. Check out dude's jacket," the blonde suddenly pointed out, walking around behind the guys to stand next to Andre. The brunette and I looked over to her.

"Oh! Hollywood Arts. The school for wannabes," the brunette commented snidely, looking from them then back to me. No one insulted me, my friends, or my school.

"You know, you might wanna be shutting your face there," I stated, expression blank. Even Cat could see that this wasn't going to end well because she kept looking from her to me and back again with creased brows.

"Really?" the brunette questioned, stepping closer.

"Really," I replied, unfazed. If she got any closer I was definitely going to dump my soda all over her.

"Hey! Look what they got on the menu! Buffalo nuggets! Well that's good news! Not for the buffalo," Andre rambled nervously. I only glanced at him before returning my gaze to the brunette.

"So, Hollywood Arts. You girls going to sing tonight?" she questioned.

"Well, we didn't come for the buffalo nuggets," I replied, fake smile in place.

"But we are gonna get some, right?" Beck leaned over to ask. Boys and food.

"I don't care," I snapped at him. He looked away and exited the standoff.

"And yeah, we're singing tonight," I said, looking back to the chick.

"Awesome," the blonde said.

"So are we," the brunette informed me. I smirked. I was more than confident that we would sound ten times better than these bit-

"I like Japan," Cat piped up. We all looked to her.

"Except my brother got stabbed there. It was an accident. He's better now. Are buffalo nuggets spicy?" she babbled. I gave her a look that passed right over her. This chick and her flunky was lucky the gang was here because she would have already been sent packing. What horrible, horrible, luck.

**~Tori~**

Getting to talk to Jade, if for a little bit, helped. It was nice of her to check in on me. Or maybe she just got bored? Either way, it was nice. I greatly considered the chance that Jade might actually drag me out though. Spending time with her was better than Trina moaning and groaning in rising pain. I decided to call the doctor and ask what I could do to lessen it. While on the phone Trina left her bed and came downstairs. Ugh. I told her to lay down on the couch so that I could continue my conversation. Yeah, her anesthesia had definitely worn off. I even let him hear her complaining for himself. He advised that I should ice her face so I went to the freezer and pulled out a bag of frozen peas. She refused just because they were peas. Seriously? It wasn't like she had to eat them, and I told her as much. It was a fight just to hold her down and get the bag on her face but eventually I got it. She relaxed instantly. I sighed and leaned over on the back of the couch tiredly. This was going to be a really, really, long night. Someone please save me.

**~Jade~**

At least those chicks were out of my face. I was so close to dousing the brunette in soda but Beck took it away before I could. I reluctantly promised not to dump my next drink on anyone so he let me get another. Why did I even listen to him? Well, he did deserve better. And he did help me get closer to Vega. The least I could do was listen more often than not. Now I was entertaining myself by watching Robbie fumble around talking to the Northridge girls. Rex was no doubt turning out cooler than him. He had issues. The emcee announced that the singing competition was going to start soon. He opened with inviting the two chicks that wazzed me off. Haley Ferguson and Tara Ganz. So that was their names. I glared at them and Cat looked ready to show them who was better. She may be a little lost at times but I could always depend on her loyalty. The two climbed up on stage.

"Enjoy us," Haley stopped by to say.

"Enjoy my monkey fur!" I countered, shaking my purse at her. Her brows furrowed before walking away. I set my purse down on the table and Cat giggled next to me. They picked the hit by Ginger Fox called Number One. Sounds like something they would choose. As soon as Haley started singing I raised my eyebrows at the off tune sound. Well, I knew for a fact Cat and I would blow them out of the water. It wasn't even a fair competition. They didn't stand a chance. By the time they were finally done singing I almost couldn't believe I survived the assault on my ears without them bleeding. Cool. Not. But then again I was a little occupied with Vega venting her frustrations to me. She had tried giving Trina ice cream but it was frozen solid. Then she tried giving her the antibiotic pills she had to take and ended up fighting her with that too. She felt a little better after dumping water all over her. The corner of my lips quirked up at that. I put away my phone to clap with everyone else.

"Yeah! We're clapping because it's over!" I shouted, making sure that they heard. Cat laughed and pushed at my legs. Beck chuckled. I reached for my drink and took a sip.

"Alright, alright. Next up in this singing competition we got Jade West and Cat Valentine!" The emcee announced. Cat and I shared a smile then stood to take our place on stage to the claps and cheers of the audience.

"Ok, girls. What do you wanna throw down?" he asked us.

"We wanna sing Give It Up," Cat answered, raising a mic to her lips as she spoke. The crowd cheered again.

"Alright, a little R&amp;B action toni-" he began.

"Yeah, just play it," I ordered, interrupting him. He nodded and started it up. I let the words burst from me as I sung, confident as I strutted down the long stage. Cat's line was next and she followed right after perfectly. The audience loved us already, while Haley and Tara were the only ones unhappy. I could hear Beck and Andre cheering for us and smiled as I traveled the stage with Cat. This was just too easy. Throughout the song everyone was clapping to the beat and cheering us on. It was livelier than when Haley and Tara sang. I loved it. Towards the end everyone was up and dancing.

Beck and Andre wore big grins and Robbie was dancing with the Northridge girls. Cat and I finished the song strong, holding the last note effortlessly. The crowd roared. I'm pretty much sure we won. I made sure to meet Haley's eyes when I walked off stage. She and Tara were the only two still seated and not clapping. I sauntered over to Beck and gave him a smile before leaning in to kiss him. That would show her to stay away from him. We all took a seat to hear who the winner would be. The owner of the joint stepped up to do the honors. When he mentioned the two girls who really stood out I smiled at Cat who returned it. That would be us.

"So, tonight's winners are…Haley and Tara!" he revealed. The two jumped up clapping happily while everyone else went dead quiet. What?! Them?! Rex was the first to disagree. Beck followed his example and so did Andre. Haley tried to quiet Andre but he refused.

"Hey, hey. I own the club so I decide who wins," the owner said.

"Thank you, dad," Haley simpered. I just wanted to punch her in the face. A muscle jumped in my jaw and I clenched it.

"Dad?" I repeated, hands on my hips. They smiled and I turned to the guys who repeated the word with me. That was how they won. Well it sure wasn't because they could sing.

"Wait. Why would she call him dad, unless…I bet he's her father!" Cat said with a slap to my arm. I blinked away her slow realization and rested my hand on her shoulder. She didn't deserve my irritation. Those chicks on stage did. Rex started up the jeering that soon spread to the rest of the patrons.

"Hey, hey! We won because we rock," Haley shouted over them.

"Yeah, don't believe everything your daddy says," Cat retorted.

"Like when he tells you you're pretty," I tacked on, intent on offending them. They gasped and their mouths hung open. Andre and Beck chuckled behind me and I smirked. Robbie and Rex as well as the other patrons cheered their agreement. And then we were banned. Like we cared. Andre brought up leaving and we were just about to walk out when our waitress showed up with our food.

"I say we get outta here right after we finish this food!" Andre shouted angrily. Beck and Cat nodded along, but I hesitated. I was hungry, but not hungry enough to eat food from these wazzbags, so I shook my head and shouldered my purse.

"I'll catch you guys later," I told them, turning for the door quickly so that I couldn't be called back. I strode out to my car, unlocked it, and slid in. I sat there for a moment then pulled out my phone. I sent a text to Vega and waited a long time for her to answer. Her sister must be giving her trouble. I waited five more minutes and was just about to head home when she answered. I asked her if she needed help and she rightly answered suspiciously. I couldn't blame her. My ideal night did not involve the older Vega, but I wasn't ready to go home yet. As much as it might include the younger of the two, I was sure that at this point she probably didn't want to see me. I told her that I was serious so she replied that if I wanted to endanger Trina's life then I was welcomed to stop by. How could I say no that? So, I started up my car and headed for her house.

**~Tori~**

Jade texted me again. What did she mean that she wanted to help? She said she was being honest but how could I know if that was the truth either? In the end I figured that she really couldn't make things worse than they already were. I was giving her the benefit of the doubt. Hopefully I wasn't making a mistake. Trina was back to groaning where she sat on the couch. She didn't even bother changing out of her wet clothes. I wasn't going to tell her to, or do it for her, so I left her like that. I didn't think Jade would show up because a lot of time passed since I talked to her, but then there was a knock at the door.

"Whossat?" Trina slurred, looking from the door to me. I strode over without answering her and opened it. Jade stood there with her arms crossed. She looked really unhappy.

"Vega," she greeted.

"Jade," I answered.

"You gonna let me in or am I going to have to stand out here?" she questioned. I moved aside and she walked in.

"What's she doin' here?" Trina demanded. Jade smirked and leaned over the couch.

"I'm here to help put you to sleep. Where do you keep your frying pans?" she answered deviously. Trina gasped and leaned away. A smile tugged at the corner of my lips. It was a mean and brutal threat but somehow I found it funny.

"Tori!" Trina whined fearfully, looking to me. I rolled my eyes and took Jade by the wrist to pull her away. She frowned but didn't resist.

"You're here to help, not make things worse, remember?" I reminded her.

"Yeah, yeah," she grumbled. I smiled and released her to walk into the kitchen.

"It's been a while since the last time she took a painkiller so it's a good thing you showed up when you did because you can help me hold her down," I explained. She looked at me, eyes searching to make sure I was serious. I only palmed two pills and approached Trina like she was a wild animal.

"Wait, you have to hold her down? Shouldn't she want to take them?" she questioned. I shrugged. That very same logic stumped me too.

"You in?" I inquired, looking back at her.

"Sure," she accepted. With two of us we cornered Trina easily when she tried to get away. Jade was stronger than I had thought and held Trina down, even after she was almost bitten, while I shoved the pill down my sister's throat. I then dumped water on her again. This time more made it in her mouth than before. Jade let her go and we both backed up. Trina moaned sadly and I pitied her enough to get her back to the couch.

"How was feeding her?" Jade asked once Trina was laying down.

"Hard. Everything was hard," I admitted tiredly. Jade only nodded. I plopped heavily on the other couch and Jade sat next to me.

"How was Karaoke Dokie?" I questioned, leaning back and closing my eyes. I felt Jade shrug.

"It was fine, I guess. Nothing special," she responded in a monotone. I opened my eyes to look at her. Eventually she met my stare.

"What do you have to do now?" she questioned, moving the conversation along. It took me a while to answer with her sitting so close. Her eyes were like the ocean. Oh geez, what?

"Um, well, I think I'll just leave Trina alone until I have to get her to bed," I said. Jade sighed and fell back too. Silence settled between us even though Trina was still complaining in the background. I found myself wanting to get a good look at Jade's eyes again but they were concealed right now. Almost as if she heard my thoughts her eyes opened and she looked at me.

"You need help getting her to bed?" she asked.

"Are you offering?" I replied.

"No. Just wondering," she countered. I smiled and swore her eyes flicked to my lips once.

"I can do it on my own, but if you're offering to help then that's nice too," I clarified. She seemed to think on it a while.

"Ok, I'll help. But you'll have to ask me first," she said, leaning closer. I chuckled and shook my head.

"Why should I ask for help that you're offering?" I pointed out.

"Do you want help or not?" Jade bit out questioningly. I sighed and rolled my eyes but leaned in too so that our eyes locked.

"Can you help me, Jade?" I asked, voice soft. Something in her eyes caught my attention, but it was gone in a flash. She smirked confidently and pushed up off the couch.

"What are we waiting for?" she said, walking over to Trina. I stood up too, and together, we caught my sister again before she could run or it. We struggled to get her to the stairs with her fighting the whole way. She fought us off twice and managed to bite me as well as hit Jade in the side. She growled angrily and came up with an idea I wish I had thought of before. With a little scrounging we found rope to hog tie Trina and slapped tape over her mouth for added silence. She tried fighting that too but she eventually became tired and fell asleep.

* * *

I'm EXHAUSTED.

My sister kept me up ALL NIGHT

with her BLEEDING GUMS.

Mood = Wrecked

* * *

I offered Jade a smile and was happy to see a small but accomplished one on her face. I made sure she had something to eat and then we took a moment to rest. Well, she rested and I dozed in and out of sleep. I was going to ask her when she was going home, but her shoulder was so warm and comfortable. I leaned into her where we sat on the couch and then let my eyelids fall shut. The sound of the doorbell woke me up. I groaned and tried to get up but I was a little restricted. I pushed on the couch to sit up and opened my tired eyes to see that I had been resting on Jade's stomach with my arms circled around her waist. I blushed and then rushed to remove myself but ended up falling on the floor. The sound and movement must have jostled her because she jumped awake. She sat up and looked around then down at me.

"Why are you on the floor?" she murmured. Her sleepy voice and expression was kinda endearing. And less scary. I shook my head and used the couch to get to my feet. Jade moved to stand too, stretching out. The knocking started again so I walked over to answer it. On the way I stopped to grab a tissue from the box on the coffee table. I blew my nose and then continued to answer the door but needed to throw the tissue away first. I shrugged and shoved it down my shirt to throw away later. I heard a quiet chuckle from Jade and allowed a slight smile, but it quickly fell from my tired face. I pulled open the door to see Andre, Beck, and Robbie.

"What?" I demanded of them. What time was it anyway? I had no sunny smiles to give. Even with Jade's minor help Trina had been too much. I walked away, leaving the door open for them. Jade was gone when I looked around for her. She probably left.

"Nice to see you too," Beck said, stepping inside.

"Thanks for the sunshine," Andre added. I glared at them.

"Wow, you look horrible," Robbie commented.

"Why are you guys here?" I grumbled, grabbing a pillow off the couch to hug in my arms as I sat down. Robbie shut the door.

"'Cause, we knew you were taking care of Trina," Beck said.

"So we brought you guys some frozen yogurt," Andre offered, holding up a bag. I sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry. You guys are sweet. I'm just cranky 'cause Trina drove me crazy all night," I told them.

"Where is she?" Beck questioned.

"There," I answered, hitching a thumb over my shoulder to where Jade and I wrangled Trina. We tied her up on the kitchen island and decided to just leave her there. It was better than risking moving her and having her get loose or something.

"You tied her up?" Andre said, walking over with Beck.

"I had to. Well, it was Jade's idea, but it was a good one. Funny how that works," I rambled.

"Jade was here?" Beck questioned, looking at me. I hesitated before nodding.

"At least she's sleeping," Robbie pointed out.

"Or she's dead," Beck said. I glanced over at her.

"Nah, she's sleeping. I'm pretty sure," I mumbled, examining her. As long as Jade didn't do anything to her she should be fine. I asked Robbie about his date with the Northridge girls and learned that he had his wallet stolen. Classic Northridge girls. Beck asked about the blood on my arm and when I answered they all cringed and made sounds of disgust. I was over it. I asked them to untie her so I could continue with her treatment which they found just as disgusting. Yeah, but I had no choice. Sadly. The doorbell rang at that moment and I groaned.

**~Jade~**

A plan formed in my head almost a minute after waking up so I rushed to leave. While driving home I was a bit too preoccupied with remembering the sight of Vega when she had just woken up. Usually I liked my space, but having her pressed against me felt comfortable. She also had hair like a lion's mane which was amusing. As much as I wanted to say she appeared disgusting, she didn't look too bad. I sighed and made my way back out the door now that I was ready for the new day. When I had texted Cat to tell her about the plan that came to me shortly after waking up I mentioned getting Vega doughnuts so that she would be more inclined to help. Bribery rarely failed. So I told Cat to meet me at Vega's house and to bring some. But when she arrived, she had brought frozen yogurt instead.

"What happened to the doughnuts?" I asked her as we walked up to the front door.

"Frozen yogurt solves everything," Cat responded with a shrug, reaching out to ring the doorbell. We waited a minute at most before Vega opened the door.

"Hi!" Cat yelled happily.

"Hello," I greeted.

"We brought you frozen yogurt!" Cat informed her cheerfully, presenting the bag.

"Why? You know, frozen yogurt doesn't solve all the world's problems!" Vega shouted irately, looking to the guys, who were untying Trina, and then back to us. They seemed to have had the same idea, but for different reasons.

"I told you to bring her doughnuts!" I growled at Cat. But did she listen? No.

"Why aren't you being nice?" Cat inquired. Tori scowled at her. I resisted the need to put in my two cents and instead crossed my arms and looked away.

"Trina," Vega answered her, pointing at her sister.

"Oh," Cat said, understanding. She caught my eye and flashed me a smile when I gestured that we should pull Vega aside now. She nodded.

"Listen, we need to talk to you," I spoke up.

"It's important," Cat added.

"All right. Let's go outside. I don't want to be in here when they get that tape off her mouth," Vega said, moving to walk out the door. I looked over to see that the guys were still trying to untie Trina. They would regret that soon after. I nudged Cat to get her going, then carefully retrieved Beck's keys from his jacket where it was draped on the couch. Once I had them I joined Vega and Cat outside after shutting the door behind me. Vega took a seat on the low wall across from the door and took out some of the frozen yogurt to eat.

"So what's up?" she asked us.

"As you know, last night we were at Karaoke Dokie," I began.

"These two girls were really mean to us," Cat said.

"Like, Jade-level mean?" Vega inquired, taking a bite of her frozen yogurt. Weird how I wasn't offended by that.

"No, not that mean, but really mean," Cat replied. Vega nodded in understanding.

"And they cheated," I mentioned.

"So cheated," Cat agreed.

"And they were totally trashing Hollywood Arts," I told her.

"Really?" Vega responded around another bite.

"What's on your arm?" Cat suddenly asked, leaning closer to get a better look. I smirked, knowing the answer.

"Trina's mouth blood," Vega responded.

"Ew," Cat groaned in disgust.

"Cool," I remarked, wanting to make them both uncomfortable. Vega's nose scrunched up so much her brows creased. She froze with the plastic spoon in her mouth.

"So anyway, they ended up winning and banned us for speaking against them because one chick's daddy got involved," I continued.

"Her daddy?" Vega repeated with disbelief.

"Owns the place," I elucidated.

"**I** think that's why they won," Cat informed her knowingly. I stared at her when she looked at me, holding back an eye roll.

"And they banned you both from singing there ever again?" Vega asked, gesturing with her spoon.

"Yep," Cat replied.

"Uh huh," I said at the same time.

"Ok, I hate these girls," Vega decided, sticking her spoon in the frozen yogurt cup.

"Yeah," I agreed.

"So do we," Cat affirmed.

"You wanna help us get back at her?" I suggested, bringing in the idea I already shared with Cat through text. Vega might fail at her own plans most of the time, but she tried. With a plan like mine, and her determination, I was sure this would work.

"Tonight?" Cat added.

"I gotta take care of Trina," she groaned, conflicted.

"Don't worry about that," I assured her. Vega paused with the spoon in her mouth again, her eyes narrowing at us.

"Jade has a plan," Cat said with a giggle. I wiggled my brows and smirked. Despite my confidence, Vega looked hesitant. She removed the spoon from her mouth.

"I don't know…" she muttered with a shake of her head. Okay, I've got something that would make her change her mind.

"You wanna stay here and take care of Trina's bleeding mouth?" I questioned her, my brows raising. Her own brows quirked and then came together in thought. Soon she was setting aside the frozen yogurt and getting up. There we go. She peeked into her house, saw the mess that was the guys trying to control Trina, and stepped back out.

"So the plan?" she said, looking to us. I smiled and bounced a little on the balls of my feet. I knew she would choose this over watching Trina. Honestly, who wouldn't?

**~Tori~**

It felt a little strange having Jade feel confident that I could help, or that she even needed my help at all. I kinda liked that she needed me for something. It felt like friendship. I hitched a ride with Jade and Cat. According to Jade's plan, Cat was going to disguise me to look unassuming and then it was my job to trick the two cheating girls out of their unfair win. It was a great plan and I was all for it.

* * *

Jade has a plan. Soon I will

be HIDEOUS. Pics to come…

Mood = Mischievous

* * *

Cat was setting up everything we would need with Jade's help while I got a hold of Andre. Even though Jade basically deserted them at my house by stealing Beck's keys, I felt that they should at least be informed of what was happening. So I told Andre that he and the guys were in charge of watching Trina until I got back. I could practically hear him when he answered that he didn't want to. Too bad, because he was stuck there anyway. Jade saw me texting and pulled out her own phone. I glanced up at her, knowing that she was texting Beck. She looked at me after putting away her phone.

"What did you say?" she asked me.

"I just told Andre that he and the guys were going to have to watch Trina for me," I answered. She nodded.

"What did you say?" I went on, asking her own question.

"I told Beck that I took his car keys so he's basically stuck there," she replied, smirking. She already made her move and he didn't even know. Again, how did he do it?

"Oh," I said with a nod.

"What? Are you having second thoughts?" she inquired.

"No. I'm not," I asserted. She quirked a brow and sat down next to me.

"You sure? I don't want to push you or anything. It isn't even that important. I could take you straight home if you want," she teased. I began to frown and prepared a retort but then I realized that Jade was being…playful? I took it in stride.

"No, no, you need me and I should help. That's what friends are for, right?" I replied, just as teasing. She scoffed and pushed at my shoulder.

"Yeah right, Vega. Don't let it go to your head," she told me. I laughed. It was still odd, these rare moments when we got along. But I embraced it when it happened. It made it worth it to work through the days when she wasn't in such a good mood. Maybe that's how Beck did it. Cat came skipping over to tell me that she was ready to apply the make-up portion of the disguise. I stood and followed her with Jade right behind me. I began to wonder how the guys were doing handling Trina, but it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. They were probably just as miserable as I had been.

* * *

At a cool karaoke club. I look

DISGUSTING. Love it :)

Mood = Pumped

* * *

Oh my…They were…they weren't as good as they seemed to think they were, that's for sure. Ever since I showed up at Karaoke Dokie, and walked in first before Jade and Cat so that we weren't in danger of being associated with each other, I've had to lay low and listen to the two girls they had talked about. I could see why Jade and Cat were appalled that they had won at all when it was clear that they couldn't sing. I didn't want to be rude, but they were almost as bad as Trina, and that was saying something. I held the book in my hands higher and peered over the top just in time to see Jade and Cat enter. Okay, here we go.

**~Jade~**

Cat and I walked in right when Haley and Tara were singing. Ugh, and it was just as bad as it was before. Maybe even worse. Vega better be in place. Cat and I exchanged unimpressed looks as they finished. The emcee's stupid joke made me roll my eyes. I began striding in, taking note that Haley's dad was present. Great.

"Oh, look who's back," Tara said when she saw us.

"I thought I smelled failure," Haley sneered.

"Then you must be sniffing yourself," Cat retorted. Hm, not too bad. Cat nudged me.

"Good, right?" she asked, proud.

"For you," I allowed with a one sided shrug.

"You know you can't sing here," Haley told us.

"Why would we want to?" Cat responded.

"So your daddy can let you win again?" I commented.

"He picked us because we sang the best," Tara declared.

"Oh my god," I muttered, looking away. They were deluded.

"That is so tight," Cat said. I sighed, holding in my slight irritation.

"Tight means good," I told her.

"That is so not tight," she corrected herself. I nodded. Good save, Cat. Good save. Let's move on with the plan.

"And guess what? If the audience picked the winner here, any person in this place would beat you morons," I stated, seeing my words irk them.

"Anyone. Morons," Cat tacked on, insulting to the best of her ability.

"But you'd be too scared to do that, right?" I taunted them, knowing that they would take the bait.

"We're not too scared to let the audience pick the best singer," Tara answered with a shrug.

"Nope," Haley agreed.

"Then do it," I responded, pushing them further.

"And if we win?" Haley bargained. Before I could even think of what I would offer Cat opened her big mouth.

"You can make out with Jade's boyfriend!" she offered. She made it sound like it was such a good idea. Well, it wasn't!

"What?!" I exclaimed, glaring at her.

"She likes his hair," Cat explained. Who cared? Why in the world would Cat make a deal like that? Either she was sure Vega would win or she hadn't thought this through.

"So do I," I snapped at her.

"Worried?" Tara taunted. She was too confident for her own good. Vega was gonna knock her down a peg.

"No. And if you lose?" I carried on, composing myself. I was certain Vega was going to win this, but it still didn't make me feel any better. Tara looked to Cat for an answer.

"Um, you have to babysit a girl we know," she finally decided. That was a great idea actually. I knew Cat meant Trina, and boy would that be a loss equal to hell itself. It was perfect.

"Fine," Haley accepted.

"Good," Cat bit back.

"So, pick someone to sing against you," I challenged. This was where Cat's handy work would pay off. We were sure to make Vega look like the perfect talentless anti-social loser ever.

"Alright. We'll pick…" Tara began, walking around and scanning the club. She stopped to motion to a lone table in the corner where Vega was playing up her role. Not too bad. The book was a nice touch.

"Her," Haley decided, pointing her out. Cat and I made a show of glancing over at the choice then exchanging looks.

"Oh come on, not her," Cat whined.

"At least pick someone who has a chance," I said. Let's see them bash Hollywood Arts now. They didn't even have a clue that we were duping them. Morons.

"You said **any** person in this place," Haley reminded me.

"And, um, I think she's in the place," Tara added. Cat and I had nothing more to say. Our job was done. It was all Vega now.

"Hey! Ugly Betty!" Haley shouted. Vega looked up from her book while nibbling at her nail.

"Time to sing," Haley demanded. Vega looked around and then pointed to herself. Haley and Tara nodded. Cat and I smiled behind them. This had to be better than being stuck at home watching Trina. Hm, how was that going? Oh well. I shrugged and then took a seat with Cat at the table we had before to watch the humiliation unfold while Vega and the other two prepared to sing. They went first, a process that I was sure should have made my ears bleed by now. Then Vega was up. The emcee explained what would happen and then introduced her by the name she made up for the occasion, Louise Nordoff. Heh, good choice, but hideous all the same. And that nerdy voice. I shouldn't be this entertained. The reaction of the crowd was lukewarm applause but they would be thundering soon. Haley and Tara already looked cocky, like they were sure to win. It was exactly what we wanted them to think. Cat was busy making faces at them and I caught her pulling a face that wasn't at all taunting. It was just plain weird.

"Don't make that face," I scolded. She quickly dropped it and looked down at the table. I trained my eyes back on the stage. The moment Vega started shedding the disguise was the moment I was waiting for. I glanced at our competitors to see them stricken with shock. I looked back to Vega with a satisfied smirk. Yeah, it looked like we were already winning. The outfit Vega wore under complemented her and bared her midriff. I watched as she sauntered forward and listened to her voice. This was the third time I heard her sing and I still couldn't help but enjoy it. Cat and I caught Tara and Haley's eyes and we began gesturing like we had no idea what was going on, but I think they must have caught on that we basically hustled them. This was just too good. Cat and I got up to dance, rubbing it in their faces even more.

The crowd was loving the performance and so was I. It got even better when she leaped from the stage and landed on Haley and Tara's table. Damn, Vega. She hopped back on stage and then called for us to join her. Cat and I were quick to comply. We danced with her until the next part of the song where she backed up and we returned to our table. She sang the rest of the upbeat song and even got the crowd to sing the last line with her. The club was deafening with the level of applause and cheers by this point. Cat ran on stage to maul Vega with a hug and I walked up to face her. She grinned, exhilarated, and the look alone made me raise my hands which she met so that our fingers locked as we celebrated. She laughed happily and slid from my grasp but the warmth of her hands remained. The owner ran up at that moment and took the mic from Vega.

"Whoa, whoa, wait, wait," he began, quieting us all down.

"Wait for what?" I demanded, looking at him from my place next to Vega.

"The crowd hasn't voted yet," Haley said, voice meek.

"Yeah. Ok, all those for Haley and Tara!" he announced with a flourish. No one but him and the two mentioned clapped.

"All those for Louise Nordoff," he muttered, pointing briefly at Vega. The place blew up again. Cat and I each grabbed one of her arms at the wrist and raised them in triumph. We cheered together and then began dancing to the new song that played. The owner and the two sore losers walked off with their heads down. Were they crying? Awesome. A few more people joined us on stage. I watched Vega dance happily and smiled.

**~Tori~**

We spent a little more time there and then left, heading for my place. There were certain someone's who lost a bet and I couldn't wait for them to cash in on it. It was time to take the guys off Trina watching duty. I wasn't looking forward to going back but the few hours of break that I had was gratifying enough and I cherished it. Jade and Cat waited in the car while I ran inside, telling them to wait a little bit before sending the two new babysitters in.

"Hey guys!" I shouted happily as soon as I walked in the door. They all jumped up to greet me, with a little bit of understandable irritation. Trina did that to people. Andre started the complaints and the others threw in their own. Beck told me about his missing car keys, which I knew about, but neglected to acknowledge it. Robbie showed me the amount of gum blood covering him. The guys must have forced him to do most of the dirty work. I looked away and waited for them to stop their whining but they kept going, beginning to talk all at once now. I silenced them and introduced the new babysitters after the doorbell rang and they stepped in. I took great pleasure in explaining to them what they had to do to take care of Trina. They were thoroughly disgusted. They tried to refuse but a bet was a bet and they lost. I then told the guys about a performance by a special friend at Karaoke Dokie and that we were going to see it. Beck asked who it was but I told them to wait and see. We all headed out after that. I jumped back in Jade's car while she got out to give Beck his keys. They shared a quiet conversation that I couldn't hear and his slightly tense frame loosened. He smiled and kissed her on the forehead then took his keys. Everything between them looked like it worked out. I was happy for them, so then why did I feel a little unsettled?

The guys were already waiting for Beck at his car. Jade returned to her own and then we were on our way. Sikowitz had come in when we were on our way out so we had to come back with the rest of the gang to see him perform like he said he would. We got there and pushed two tables together so that we could all crowd around it. We cheered when our favorite teacher took the stage. His performance was turning out to be far more entertaining than Haley and Tara's performance. Hey wait, wasn't mom and dad supposed to be home tonight? Nah, maybe it was the next night. I stood with my friends to dance along as Sikowitz sang and danced. We cheered him on and then we all group hugged with him when he was done. Surrounded by my friends on all sides, I felt beyond happy. I didn't miss the feel of Jade pressed against me once more. She was next to me but both our arms where wrapped around someone else. I almost jumped out of my skin with surprise when she shifted so that one of her arms draped over my shoulder. I froze for only a second before returning the gesture. It didn't last long, because soon, we were parting. I stepped back and took the time to catch her eye. She smiled, the expression small, but creating a big impact on me. I grinned and then turned away to talk with our crazy-awesome teacher. Being with friends and having a good time. It was a good end to the day.


	14. Rex Dies

**~Tori~**

Sikowitz's class was rarely ever boring. Today was no different. Beck and I played a couple talking over dinner and ending up fighting. Even though I suspected that Jade didn't like the setup she most likely enjoyed our acted out bickering. Granted, the argument was trivial to begin with so if we were really a couple we probably weren't good together if we fought over things like the difference between pastas. We didn't even get to finish because Sikowitz interrupted to announce that the cream he had been working on had successfully turned into butter. We all silently questioned him but it was Jade who questioned him out loud concerning why he even made it. But then he threw it out because he refused to eat dairy. What was the point of making it then? By the looks on everyone's faces they thought the same thing. He then dismissed Beck and I to sit back down.

"All right. For the last few minutes of class let's talk about the one act play I'm directing," he stated, holding a clipboard in his hands. He said it like it would be a cool thing but the class didn't react. I didn't know about everyone else, but I was waiting for him to continue.

"Well?" Andre finally said, disrupting the silence.

"Well, what?" Sikowitz replied, looking to him.

"You wanna talk about the one act play you're directing?" he answered. Sikowitz rolled his eyes.

"All right," he huffed out, making us all frown in confusion. He sounded like he didn't care for it now.

"First of all, I want to thank you all for auditioning. The two lead roles will be played by…" he began, withholding the rest so that we could drum roll with our feet as soon as he signaled to us. Cat squeaked in excitement.

"Andre and Robbie!" Sikowitz said, pointing at each of them.

"Cool," Andre said.

"Hot beef!" Robbie exclaimed happily.

"Aw, would anyone else like to be my guardian?" Rex spoke up. Robbie looked at him incredulously.

"Did any of the rest of us get parts?" Cat asked.

"Aww, is a certain little redhead hoping she got a role in teacher's play?" Sikowitz questioned, moving to sit in front of Cat on the step of the stage.

"She is!" Cat confirmed with a giggle.

"Well, she didn't," he deadpanned, causing Cat to stop.

"But, I do need some help with the backstage crew," he said, getting back up to take center stage.

"Jade, Cat, I want you girls on lighting," he assigned.

"Lighting?" Jade repeated questioningly.

"Yes, you pronounced it perfectly," Sikowitz responded. When I glanced back I could see the agitation on Jade's face from where I sat. It was subtle but it was there.

"Tori, I want you to work on Sinjin's team on special effects," he carried on.

"Ok, but I know nothing about special effects," I confessed.

"We'll teach you," Sinjin spoke up from behind me in that creepy tone he was known for. I turned in my seat to look at him but also made note of the strange way he and his team looked at me. I was a bit concerned and uncomfortable.

"Lookin' forward to it," I forced out, turning back around. Not really. No, I wasn't. The unique bell went off and we all filed out for lunch. Andre, Robbie, Cat, and I decided to hang out in the parking lot instead of at the table this time. Beck had offered the bed of his truck so we climbed up and sat along the sides while Jade dragged him off somewhere else.

"Hey, cheekbones," Rex called to me while I opened up my lunch.

"Yes Rex?" I sighed.

"Ya gonna eat that taquito?" he questioned.

"I sure am," I answered, going to take a bite.

"Come on, gimme one bite," Rex continued. My teeth barely touched it when I stopped to refuse.

"No!" I told him.

"Can I smell it?" he begged next, leaning closer.

"Robbie!" I exclaimed, looking to him. He pulled Rex back.

"Stop!" Robbie scolded him.

"Gimme a bath," Rex demanded. Robbie hesitated.

"Later," he whispered. I shook my head at him and went back to eating. Rex groaned sadly.

"So, I heard you went out with Jessica Wolf last night," Cat said, looking to Robbie. Andre and I looked to him to explain.

"Oh yes, I did," he confirmed with a smug grin. Trina strutted by at that moment to greet us and walked on. She seemed in a good mood. My phone went off and I pulled it out of my pocket to see that it was a notification.

"So your date with Jessica," Andre said, continuing the topic.

"Awesome," Robbie responded.

"Uh, not according to her last update on The Slap," I told him, looking at said update. Cat looked over my shoulder.

"What'd she write?" Robbie asked, cautious.

"It's kinda mean," I warned him.

"Read it!" Andre encouraged, interested. Cat took out the lollipop she had been eating to giggle at what was to come.

"'Last night: Worst date ever'," I read, glancing at Robbie apologetically.

"Uh, well, um, maybe she went out with some other guy after she went out with me and then she wrote that about the other guy?" he reasoned. I shook my head and returned my eyes to the screen.

"'Dude brought a puppet'," I continued to read.

"A puppet?!" Rex shouted, offended.

"Aw, she **was** talking about me," Robbie bemoaned.

"I'm sorry," I said while putting away my phone.

"Aw, who cares? You don't need to be hooking up with scrunge like that," Rex told him. Trina passed by again with a toss of her hair, walking like she was on a runway. She then pivoted and came back to explain that she was wearing some designer jeans I didn't really care for.

"These are real Felony jeans. The realio dealio," she said with a point at them.

"Realio dealio?" Robbie questioned her, unimpressed. She really shouldn't say that anymore if even Robbie thought it was ridiculous.

"I think that's Spanish for 'real deal'," Cat piped up. Oh boy.

"And what's Spanish for 'dizzy redhead'?" Rex commented.

"Aren't Felony Jeans, like, super expensive?" I asked my sister.

"Yes. Oh, uh, do me a flavor and put this credit card back in mom's purse," she said, pulling out the card to hand to me. So that's how she got them. Hey, she promised she wouldn't do that again! I frowned at her.

"Why do **I** have to put it back in mom's-" I began to say, but I stopped when Andre groaned and Trina pointed to him. I turned around to see what the problem was. Was he going cross-eyed?

"What are you doing?" I asked him.

"I'm trying to make myself cry," he answered.

"Looks like you're about to puke," Rex remarked.

"Want me to jerk a knot in your tail?" Andre retorted.

"Oh my god," Rex muttered, turning away.

"Why are you trying to make yourself cry?" I asked him.

"For the play I'm supposed to cry in the last scene. Sikowitz says a real actor has to cry real tears," he explained.

"So?" Cat said, like it wasn't a big deal.

"You're a great actor," I reassured him.

"Just cry real tears," Cat added. I nodded.

"You know how hard it is to make real tears come out?" he inquired. I exchanged a look with Cat.

"I mean, I could cry and make it look real and sound real but I don't see how an actor could just automatically make actual tears come out whenever. I mean, it's like…" he explained, stopping when he saw Trina, Cat, and I prove him wrong.

"Well, y'all are girls. It's easier for girls to cry," Andre reasoned. A sniff from Robbie and he was crying too, much to Andre's bewilderment.

"Sometimes, I have trouble not crying," Robbie said, voice wavering. The three of us wiped away the tears and I shrugged when Andre looked to me. Some people just had it while others did not.

* * *

Just made myself cry. Fun!

Now time to work on a play-

SPECIAL EFFECTS.

Feeling: Intrigued

* * *

Sikowitz ran around getting people in place and directing them on what needed to be done while I waited for Sinjin and his crew to tell me what I had to do. I literally had no idea. Hopefully he showed up soon. I didn't like feeling useless.

**~Jade~**

Sikowitz was a great teacher. Crazy, but great. He was also the only authority figure I would allow to taunt or make fun of me without the need to fight back. Sure, it was annoying, but I admired him too much to do anything about it. He knew it, I knew it, so moving on. At lunch I wanted to spend some time with Beck. We hadn't really had time or I didn't want to, but this time I did. It was nice to just sit and talk without any conflict for once. Neither of us brought up anything that would upset the other. He only asked why I stole his keys the night Tori, Cat, and I got back at those chicks from Karaoke Dokie. He told me I could have just asked and he would let me have them. I told him I highly doubted it, because who would want to willingly be stuck with Trina? I had to make sure they would stay put. Of course, he wasn't mad at me. Despite being stranded, he was actually happy that I spent some time with Vega and told me so during the brief moment we were able to talk when I gave him back his keys. By the time we had to work on the play I was in a relatively good mood. That is, until Cat got on my nerves. I was working on one of the lights to make sure it was secure, reaching up to adjust it then tighten it in place with a wrench. Next to me, Cat giggled while looking over the railing of the catwalk we were standing on.

"I love that they call this a catwalk," she said, turning to me. I stepped back from the light to look at her. She was supposed to be helping me but she was already distracted. Great.

"Cause my name is Cat, and look, I'm walking!" she exclaimed, displaying the action with exaggerated dancing thrown in.

"Walkin' on the catwalk," she said, turning at the end to come back in the same way. I stood there unamused and wanting to return to the task at hand. Luckily I knew just what to say to send her away without actually having to say it.

"If someone was pushed _off_ this catwalk, and they landed on the floor really hard, do you think they'd live?" I questioned her, watching as she glanced over the railing again before fear etched into her expression.

"Why are you asking that?" she replied, skittish.

"No reason," I stated, keeping my face and voice blank. The worry in her eyes was just what I wanted to see. I spooked her alright. She gasped and ran for the door that led to the bottom, no doubt to get to safety. I smirked then got back to work. I happened to glance over the railing to see Sinjin and his nerd crew approaching Vega. I leaned on the railing and listened as Sinjin welcomed her then passed her a special effects shirt with a huge stain on it. She questioned him about it but he couldn't remember what it was. The disgust and incredulity in her features made me chuckle. I hated when he creeped me out, but when he turned it on Vega it was amusing. She tried so hard not to retaliate rudely but we both knew that was hard to do. Sinjin and his crew walked away, leaving Tori there with the shirt in hand. That was when Beck finally returned with the high powered jet fan he had been tasked to bring. Right on time.

"It has arrived!" he announced, pushing it in.

"Yeah, there she is!" Andre said while walking over. Vega made her way closer too.

"Cool, what's that?" she asked.

"This is a Turblow Jet," Beck answered her.

"To create the tornado for the play," Andre explained.

"Ooh, it blows?" she questioned.

"It blows," Andre confirmed with certainty. Yeah it does. Like that one time when a newbie special effects member used it and knocked down a whole set. The result was chaotic but so fun to watch. Good times. I wondered if Vega would make the same mistake. Andre and Beck turned the confirmation into a little song then Andre asked Beck to power it up.

"We'll start on…medium," he said, flipping a switch. It turned on and instantly knocked Sinjin down where he stood directly in front of it. Andre and Vega jumped in shock but Beck was as calm as ever as he powered it down.

"Sorry Sinj," he called to him.

"It happens," Sinjin replied, pushing himself up. See, he was fine.

"Wow, this thing's powerful," Vega commented.

"Yep, and it doesn't just blow," Andre told her.

"You flick that little red guy into reverse…" Beck began.

"It sucks," Andre finished.

"Show her," Beck told him.

"All right," Andre agreed, reaching over to turn it back on.

"Now come here!" he yelled over the roaring of the jet fan. He moved to stand in front of it while Vega watched from the side. He released one of the papers he held and it instantly got sucked into it.

"Whoa! That's insane!" Vega exclaimed. Andre chuckled. Suddenly, a mischievous smile pulled at her lips. I leaned forward, interested in what she planned to do. She stepped in front of it and held up the shirt Sinjin gave her. She let it go and it was yanked into the jet fan just as easily as the paper.

"Now that, is some serious suckage," she concluded. Hm, and she keeps on surprising me.

"I wanna play with it!" she requested, bouncing over to stand by Beck. I rolled my eyes and held back a smile at her excitement then turned away with a shake of my head. That's enough distractions from Vega. I had my own things to get done.

**~Tori~**

This thing was amazing! I couldn't wait to try it. Maybe being on the special effects crew wouldn't be too bad. I walked over to stand by Beck and get a look at the controls, fixing my hair as I went. He walked me through the basics and I listened carefully. This was my first time with a role like this and I wanted to do it right.

* * *

Ahhh! Play starts in 20 minutes!

I'm in charge of the

TURBLOW JET!

Feeling: Pumped

* * *

It was finally the big day after much rehearsing and practice with the Turblow Jet. I was ready. I had just given the signal to one of the crew up on the catwalk to raise the curtain a little higher then gestured that it was secure and in place properly when Sikowitz came striding out from backstage to get everyone's attention.

"Ok everyone, we have twenty minutes before our play begins! Where's my coconut milk?" he said, stopping to drink from said beverage. Beck glanced over from where he was by the Turblow Jet.

"You're drinking it," he told our teacher.

"So am I," Sikowitz said, striding away. He was so strange. I began toward my position when I heard Jade.

"Cat, don't turn on twenty one," she yelled up to her on the catwalk from where she stood on a ladder, fixing some wiring for the lights.

"Don't, what?" Cat responded.

"Turn on twenty one," Jade repeated. Uh oh. I glanced from Jade to Cat with worry.

"Twenty one on!" Cat announced.

"No-" Jade began, but her words cut off when a jolt of electricity paralyzed her. Cat was quick to shut it off and Jade gasped. I ran over, concerned.

"Cat, you just shocked me!" Jade yelled, releasing the wires to brace herself on the ladder. I was surprised she didn't topple off.

"I'm sorry," Cat whined in response. Jade shook her head and carefully made her way down. On the last step she stumbled but I was there to keep her from falling over. She tensed when my hands made contact with her. I quickly removed them and held them behind my back.

"Aren't you supposed to be over there?" she questioned, nodding towards Beck and the Turblow Jet. I nodded.

"Yeah, but I was making sure you were ok," I replied, fidgeting a little.

"I'm fine," she replied, terse with her arms crossed. I lifted a hand, hesitant, but ultimately set it on her arm.

"You sure? That was dangerous and you could've gotten hurt-" I tried to say, but she pushed away my hand and cut me off.

"I said I'm fine. Hurry up and get in place," she commanded. I couldn't hide the slight hurt when I nodded and turned away, but I was pulled back around when she grabbed at my arm. I looked back at her determinedly straight face. By the way her eyebrows relaxed from their hard slant downward and her eyes softened I knew she was grateful for my concern. As always, she didn't say it, but I felt it. I nodded and she let me go. I rushed to help Beck position the jet fan. We were starting to roll it into place when Robbie showed up.

"Hey, Tori," he addressed me. I faced him.

"Why aren't you in costume?" I questioned.

"I'm going to get changed. Will you watch Rex for me?" he asked. Really?

"Why can't you just take Rex with you?" I inquired.

"'Cause I don't like to change in front of him. He…makes jokes," he explained uncomfortably, looking to Rex who looked back at him. He looked to me pleadingly. I sighed.

"Heh heh, yeah I do," Rex agreed.

"Hush!" he demanded.

"Will you just keep an eye on him for me?" he continued, moving to place the puppet on a nearby wheelbarrow carrying a cotton prop. He arranged him so that he was sitting then walked away.

"Sure," I agreed with another sigh, even though he was already gone. I glanced at Rex sitting there silent for once but snapped to attention when Sikowitz returned.

"All right adolescents! Let's do some quick checks," he stated, stopping to stand at the front of the set.

"Crew, positions!" he ordered, gesturing to everyone on the catwalk.

"Sunshine," he requested, getting a bright light that warmed the farm setting.

"Love it! Chirping birds," he said next. Loudly crowing roosters was the response. What was Sinjin doing up there?

"No, not a cock fight. Peaceful birds," Sikowitz corrected. This time he got what he asked for.

"Charming. Thunderstorm," he said, moving on with a jump towards the set just as lights flashed, courtesy of Jade.

"Exellent! Lights up!" he shouted. She restored the soft lighting it had before.

"Next, um, Tori! Let's see the tornado," he said, pointing to me.

"Full on?" I questioned.

"Full on. Blow me away," he joked. He didn't get any laughs.

"Just turn it on," he grumbled.

"Here we go," I said with a smile, getting it started. It was on for a few seconds when Beck jumped up from his seat on the floor.

"You have it on reverse!" he warned me. I glanced ahead to see the props made to look like stalks of corn bend towards the jet fan. Jade and Cat rushed me to turn it off from above.

"I know! I know!" I yelled, too frazzled to remember how to do it. Rex tilted ominously and then flew into the jet fan with a loud crack. It squealed as it grinded up the puppet and I screamed in shock. Sikowitz came running over.

"Turn it off!" he ordered. Finally, I got it to shut down, but it was too late.

"Oh my god," I whispered, frozen in horror. What did I do? Everyone stood around, just as shocked as I was. Just then, Robbie came out from getting dressed.

"This shirt's a little big but, uh, it looks pretty good," he remarked, adjusting it before stopping to stand in front of the Turblow Jet. Beck walked up to lean on the side of it, body stiff and brows drawn down despite trying to look casual. My heart sank just knowing what would come next. Beck slowly moved to cover the open side of the jet fan, attempting to spare Robbie from what was inside, but he paused and looked to where he had left his companion.

"Where's Rex?" he questioned. I cringed and then looked to the Turblow Jet. The anxiety was going to kill me.

"I, uh…" I tried to say.

"What? Where is he?" Robbie questioned me.

"I accidentally…" I forced out, biting at my nails nervously. Robbie didn't react at first, but then he ran forward. I cried out and backed away but Sikowitz, Jade, and Cat held him back as he shouted and tried to get to Rex. They tried calming him while I rushed around the jet fan to pull Rex out. My jaw dropped at his condition. His face was cracked, an eye and an ear missing. His clothes were shredded. Robbie broke free and ran over, screaming when he laid eyes on him.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no" he denied, taking Rex from me.

"What did you do?!" he demanded, voice hoarse.

"I…I j-just…um…" I stuttered, shifting from one foot to the other.

"Rex! Can you hear me?" he shouted, shaking him. Rex groaned in pain.

"Is that you, Rob?" he responded weakly. He coughed.

"Robbie's here. It's ok," he told the puppet.

"I…I'm busted up pretty bad," Rex gasped.

"I-I gotta get him to the hospital," Robbie said, seconds from bolting. Sikowitz addressed him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Robbie," he began calmly.

"I've got to!" Robbie yelled.

"Robbie! You're starring in this play. The audience is outside, waiting to come in. It's your job to entertain them. No matter what," Sikowitz reminded him. He patted his shoulders and then nodded.

"I feel cold," Rex groaned.

"Somebody's gotta take Rex to the hospital," he pleaded, turning to look at us.

"I'll take him!" I volunteered, needing to make it up to him. Yes, he was just a puppet, but he meant a lot to Robbie. I owed it to him.

"I'll drive," Beck suggested.

"I'll go too," Cat quickly added. A glance at Jade showed that she wasn't the least bit worried about the situation and was questioning us instead.

"Ok, does anyone else think this is bizarre? Come on, it can't just be me," she inquired with a wave of her hands which then rested on her hips. I had seen her concerned frown and she had warned me to shut off the jet fan too. She saw what was going to happen, like the others, and tried to stop it from happening. She cared to a certain extent. Maybe not as far as taking Rex to a hospital, but as far as Robbie's reaction concerning the accident. I would have been intrigued by that if I didn't feel so bad at the moment. So instead I shot her a reprimanding look that she rolled her eyes at and looked away.

"Alright, alright. Show time!" Andre stated with a clap of his hands while sauntering over. He stopped to look around at the scene before him.

"What'd I miss?" he asked, glancing at everyone who remained silent.

"Tori tried to murder Rex," Sinjin supplied. I glared at him.

"Sinjin!" I yelled, incredulous. I sighed and then opened my arms.

"Let me have him," I directed at Robbie.

"No," he refused, moving him out of my reach.

"We'll take him to the hospital," Cat assured him.

"Ok," Robbie agreed. I stepped forward to take Rex carefully.

"I got him," I said.

"Take care of him," Robbie whimpered.

"I promise," I told him, meaning it. Robbie leaned over and kissed Rex on the forehead. It was weird, but at the same time, it made me sorrier for having done this to him. I glanced at Beck and gestured to the exit with a tilt of my head. He nodded and followed me out.

**~Jade~**

Leave it to Vega to fudge something up once again. Did she have bad luck or something? Seriously. Anyway, the puppet was totaled and Robbie was crying now. I still thought the whole thing was bizarre and the dramatics were unneeded, but this was Robbie, and as much as I felt that having Rex in the first place was weird, I couldn't deny how real he thought he was. To him, Rex was a person who was injured and needed to go to the hospital. It was too strange to miss out on. With nothing but Robbie's sobs filling the silence I decided that I wasn't going to stick around either.

"Well I'm not missing this," I stated, throwing up my hands and then striding out. I easily caught up to them with my quick strides just as they reached the main hall.

"Hey. Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait up," I ordered, grabbing at Beck who was trailing behind Vega and Cat. They all stopped and turned to me.

"What?" Vega questioned, already exasperated. I hadn't even said anything yet. I was pretty good at agitating her. That, or she automatically assumed that I wouldn't be of any help. That was a possibility too.

"Where are you all going?" I questioned them with a disapproving shake of my head.

"To the hospital," Cat answered, sincere. Of course.

"Cat," Vega said carefully, looking at her. Well, at least Vega hadn't been serious. I was beginning to think she was actually going to do it.

"We're not really going to a hospital," Beck explained. Cat looked shocked.

"It's a puppet," he continued, driving the point home by turning away and buying himself a drink from the vendor behind us. I pulled out a strip of gum and slid it in my mouth.

"Not to Robbie," Cat mentioned, turning to brush at Rex's hair. That's when I had the epiphany.

"You know what? Maybe we should take Rex to the hospital," I agreed. Vega's eyebrows creased.

"Why?" she inquired.

"So he can die there," I clarified for her. Vega's expression was back to concerned and Cat's mouth fell open with offense.

"Jade," she lightly reprimanded.

"It's not good for a sixteen year old guy to go through life with his hand shoved up a-that," I retorted with a gesture at it, trying to show some concern. It would help my reasoning and at least get Vega on board. She thought about it then nodded.

"Maybe this happened for a reason," I continued, toying with the gum wrapper while I awaited Vega's response to my suggestion.

"But if Rex dies, Robbie's going to-" she tried to say, but I quickly talked over her.

"Get over it and become a normal person? Yeah, that'd be tragic," I responded dryly.

"She's got a point," Beck agreed. I knew he would see reason.

"I used to think my uncle Jesse was a normal person, but then, I found out that every Sunday he soaks his feet in chicken fat," Cat shared. We all exchanged looks, still unable to properly react to her idiosyncratic anecdotes. Silence fell between us.

"Let's take Rex to the hospital," Vega decided with a nod, looking to me then beginning the walk to the exit. The three of us followed right behind her. Finally. We took Beck's truck. I sat next to him on the bench seat while Cat and Vega were squished in the back. Getting to the hospital wasn't hard, but explaining what we had planned to a professional doctor, was. With a little more determination, and some not so subtle pushing from me, we got him to consider it.

"But he's a puppet," the doctor said, stopping. He looked down at the clipboard he held, unwilling to turn away from actual work. I didn't blame him.

"Yeah, we know he's a puppet," Beck said with a nod.

"Look, we just want you to hook him up to one of those beepy machines, and when our friend Robbie gets here, pretend he dies," Vega said, going over the plan. The doctor looked up at her.

"You want me to pretend this puppet dies?" he questioned seriously. Vega nodded.

"Is there any good reason why a grown man would soak his feet in chicken fat?" Cat randomly asked.

"Chicken fat?" the doctor repeated, turning to her. I could see that Vega didn't want to fall off topic because she rolled her eyes and sighed. She was getting a little agitated. Come to think of it, so was I.

"Why don't you go make friends with the nice lady at the desk?" I suggested, using the tone of voice I reserved just for Cat. She became excited and hopped in place.

"Kay kay!" she responded happily. I pushed her along and she ran over to talk the poor unsuspecting woman's ear off.

"So, will you do it?" Beck began, getting back to what we came to do.

"Look, I'm a doctor, this is a hospital. I can't justify pretending a puppet died-" he began while attempting to walk away, but Beck interrupted him and he stopped again.

"Come on, doc," he said while walking over, his tone of voice cool and collected in that way that could make most listen. Well, most everyone besides Vega and I. Weird that we had that in common.

"Just do it," I demanded, impatient as I walked over to stand right next to Vega who had followed the closest to the doctor.

"Please," she begged, the most patient out of the three of us. The doctor sighed and placed the clipboard under his arm.

"Will you do something for me?" he responded. She looked hesitant and glanced back to exchange a look with us. What the heck did he mean?

"What?" Vega questioned him.

"I have a sixteen year old son. His name is Lendell, and he's, um, well…he's a loser. Would you go out on a date with him?" he propositioned. That wasn't so bad. Vega might as well just say yes and get all this over with.

"How much of a loser?" she inquired, tone straightforward and steady. I raised a brow at that but remained quiet. The doctor pulled out his wallet and showed Vega a picture. I glanced at it over her shoulder, leaning a bit too close, but she didn't seem to notice because she was taken aback by the guy in the picture. He was a piece of work all right.

"Oh, my god," she commented.

"Yeah," the doctor accepted. She looked like she was going to back out.

"Look, I-" she began, but I jumped in before she could ruin anything again.

"Tori would love to go out with Lendell," I stated. Vega shot me a look.

"Really?" he replied, eyes leaving me to train on Vega again, testing my statement. She better agree. She sucked in a breath before speaking.

"One hour. And it has to be a dark restaurant," she negotiated. Nice job taking one for the team Vega. I smirked at her distaste.

"Done. Bring the puppet," he finally agreed. I coached my features into a blank mask when she glanced at me then we were following him down the hall. This time, I had to give her some credit. I would have already walked away if I was her.

**~Tori~**

It didn't take very long to set up Rex's room and dress him up to look the part. Once he was in place, all we had to do was wait for Robbie to finish with the play. He asked which hospital we took Rex to so that when the play was done he would be right over. Poor Robbie. I felt so bad. But this was what was best for him. Right?

* * *

At the hospital with a sick friend.

Well, not really a "friend"…

More like a…uh, nevermind.

Feeling: Conflicted

* * *

I stood by the doctor and admired the work they put into stitching and bandaging Rex. He actually looked like a patient in a hospital.

"Wow, that looks so real," I commented.

"So when this Robbie kid gets here…" he began.

"Just say that Rex isn't doing well. Let him say good bye, and then beep, dead Rex," Beck explained, drawing out the sound of the line going flat, his hands providing more of a display.

"Why can't my son be handsome like you?" the doctor inquired. Both Jade and I glanced at him. Beck only shrugged.

"Uh, hey, what's this?" Jade wondered, picking up a jar from the bedside table. It was filled with a clear liquid and something was floating inside.

"Oh, that's just a fatty lump I removed from a cab driver's back," the doctor answered, taking it from her. Ew. A look of fascination dawned on Jade's face.

"Can I have it?" she asked. Beck made a face and so did I. Even the doctor didn't quite know what to say. Of course she would take an interest in these kinds of things.

"What school do you kids _go_ to?" he questioned. Jade's gaze was adamantly fastened on the jar while Beck and I just looked down. The doctor shook his head then passed Jade the jar. She took it with a satisfied smile, holding it up at eye level.

"I have to see another patient. I'll be back in twenty minutes," the doctor told us, leaving soon after.

"Why would you want-" Beck said while turning to Jade with a tap on her arm.

"I like to look at it," she answered swiftly. They began to talk about the contents of the jar. My phone chimed and I took it out of my purse to see it was a text.

"Who texted?" Beck inquired.

"Andre. They have one more scene left in the play and then he's going to bring Robbie here," I answered while reading the text.

"Good. One hour from now, you dead," Jade stated, turning from me to look at Rex. Beck smirked in slight amusement. I glanced around.

"Hey, where's Cat?" I wondered. Hopefully she didn't get herself into trouble. Great, now I had more to worry about.

* * *

At Hospital. Waiting.

Nervous. Grrrr.

Feeling: Guilty

* * *

**~Jade~**

It was a long, long hour but we waited. I kept myself occupied by swishing around the fatty lump in the jar. It was entertaining enough I guess. Eventually I took a seat by Rex with my hand on his to play out our plan. Robbie would probably be here soon. Vega came running in.

"Andre and Robbie are coming," she announced. See. I swished the lump around the jar again, taking my time to answer.

"Good," I responded, my eyes never leaving it.

"Found him," Beck said, guiding the doctor in by the shoulder. He left to find him some time ago.

"I was trying to stop that man from choking," the doctor said to Beck.

"Yeah, this is **really** important," he insisted, clapping the doctor on the shoulder.

"You got your machine set for Rex to die?" I questioned, making sure. He walked over to toggle with it.

"Yeah. It'll flat line in exactly fifteen minutes," he said. I nodded. Good enough.

"Shh, everyone get ready! Get ready!" Vega said, pulling her head in from outside the curtain to take her place. We all arranged ourselves where we needed to be just as Robbie burst in. Geez, the doctor could try just a tad harder to make it believable, not stand around with an expression like that. He looked like a mix of bored and exasperated. If Robbie wasn't so oblivious it would have been obvious. When he came in he let out a sound of despair and worry.

"Rex," he cried, shambling over to take Rex by the hand. Vega stood next to him, her sad expression genuine.

"Is he gonna be ok?" Robbie asked, looking to the doctor with hope.

"I'm…I'm afraid his injuries are very serious," he managed. Better. Vega nodded along.

"They don't think he's gonna make it," Beck added with a shake of his head.

"What in the name of Nancy is going on here?" Andre demanded, completely lost. I gestured for him to be quiet and Beck did the same.

"I'll leave you and Rex alone so you can…say your good-byes," the doctor said with a wave of his hand. He turned and left while Robbie cried harder. Vega, Andre, and Beck all patted him on the back then filed out. I offered a solitary wave and went with them. I had just stepped outside the curtain when Robbie called Vega back. She didn't want to but Robbie pointed out that she was the cause so she gave in. She could have walked out anyway, but she didn't. Andre and Beck already wandered off to the waiting room but I stayed close by so that I could listen in, because of course, Vega complied with Robbie's plea for her to stay with him. I wanted to demean her for it, because in all honesty, the guy was crying over a puppet.

But because it meant something to Robbie, and she understood that, I admired her for being a good friend. God, I was going soft. I had to give her props for staying with Robbie the whole fifteen minutes. I had left to sit with Andre and Beck for a while then wandered back when it was getting close to the time being up. Yep, and he was still bawling. He started recounting memories and Vega joined in apologizing. She prepared to leave but Robbie stopped her again so that she could sing Rex's favorite song with him. He even had the gall to correct her singing before starting again. I shook my head. By the end of the chorus the machine flat lined. The doctor showed up on time and the guys came over when they saw him. We all entered behind him and watched as he covered Rex. Robbie collapsed against him.

"I'm sorry. Uh, come, there's a quiet room where you can sit with your friends," the doctor told him in a robotic tone, prying Robbie off him so that he was standing. I smiled and was right behind the guys when I stopped, looking back to see that Vega was staring at the bed, biting her lip in thought. I brushed the curtain aside to stomp over to her.

"Vega, don't you dare," I threatened.

"But Jade, he's so heartbroken," she pleaded.

"I don't care. You are not to do anything. He's dead, all right? So let's just get out of here," I told her, grabbing her by the arm to steer her out. She pulled away from me and stood her ground.

"Robbie loves Rex and cares about him like a brother. Just because he's a puppet to us doesn't mean that's all he is to Robbie. He's actually dead and we chose that for him," she stated.

"If you want to put it that way then, technically, you killed him," I remarked, crossing my arms. She stomped her foot like a child.

"That's not the point! Look, it doesn't matter what you say because I'm bringing him back. It'll be a miracle and Robbie will be happy," she concluded, stomping over to the machine. I yanked her back by the arm and she spun around to stand almost on top of me due to the force I used to pull on her. We both froze for a second before I sneered.

"We decided to let him die, to play along with Robbie and allow him to move on without that thing. He doesn't need it anyway," I argued.

"You don't know that. He has him for a reason, and maybe, it's normal for Robbie to have him around, because without him I know Robbie won't be normal. He'll be broken," she said, conviction in her tone. I grunted my disagreement and looked away.

"You still owe me, Vega," I reminded her.

"What?" she inquired.

"I won our little ping-pong match so you owe me. I'm cashing it in now. You're going to leave that puppet dead, we are going to walk out of here, and then we'll all move on; Robbie included," I commanded, unyielding. When she only stood there with a frown I turned on my heel to leave.

"It isn't right. No matter how weird it is, it isn't right to kill him off. Robbie should choose when to leave Rex behind. Not us," she continued to refuse.

"Tori," I addressed her, making sure that she knew I was serious. She held her head high even when I doubled back to advance on her. Before I could say anything she began talking again.

"I know, I owe you, but this isn't what you should use it on. Let me do this and you can ask anything of me later. I promise," she bargained. She was honest and looked me in the eye when she said it so I nodded.

"Fine. I'll let the puppet live," I grumbled. She cheered, all trace of seriousness gone, then grabbed me in a hug before I could stop her. Her lips pressed to my cheek then she darted over to mess with the machine. I stood there frozen to the spot, my mind unable to catch up with the fact that she just kissed me on the cheek. I fought to keep down the rising blush while she ran out to get Robbie and tell him the good news. I touched my cheek, still having trouble registering what happened, when everyone came running back in. I stepped away to stand at the back, giving Vega and Robbie room at Rex's side.

"What happened?" Robbie asked, leaning over Rex.

"I dunno. It started beeping again," Vega replied.

"What? He's alive?!" Robbie exclaimed excitedly. Dang it, Vega. I scowled at her, unhappy again.

"Yeah, I think I even heard him say something." she encouraged, rubbing at Robbie's shoulder. The rest of us watched on in a mix of confusion and disbelief.

"Rex! Rex, can you hear me? Speak to me buddy!" Robbie called to him desperately. Rex began singing as a reply and we all tilted our heads back in irritation. When I cash in that debt, Vega is so gonna get it. A big smile spread across her face, and for a second, our eyes met. She looked truly happy, like she knew she did the right thing. I looked away, having a hard time disagreeing with her. Having Rex around couldn't be worse than it was already. It was manageable; especially so now that I would make Vega's debt to me a good one. So good in fact, that it'll make up for this little stunt she pulled.

**~Tori~**

I felt so accomplished for defying Jade and changing my mind at the last minute. This was the right thing to do. When Robbie was ready to leave Rex behind, he would, and in his own time. It wasn't up to us to make that decision for him, no matter how annoying he was. Rex finished the last of the song and Robbie bent over to hug him.

"Rex, it's a miracle!" he shouted, ecstatic. Andre, Beck, and Jade all gave a half-hearted cheer, not meaning it at all. Why even bother then?

"You still have to go on a date with my son," the doctor reminded me. I frowned and groaned, but then I had an idea.

"Wait, does it have to be me?" I asked him.

"You promised," he stated.

"But I know another girl for Lentil," I responded.

"Lendell," he corrected.

"Lendell," I repeated with a nod. He looked at me skeptically, but I got him covered. I made sure to get the guy's number then left with my friends after clearing the mix-up with Cat, which involved a call from her parents to prove her sanity. Or what passed as sanity for Cat. I couldn't believe they thought she was insane. Well, I kinda could, but mostly couldn't. The whole way home Jade and Beck didn't say a thing but Cat babbled about her time spent in the mental ward as well as how happy she was that Rex would be okay. The others could give me the cold shoulder, but it didn't matter. The first thing I did when I got home was to give Trina Lendell's number and told her he was a hot guitar player. She jumped on dating him in seconds flat after that. The night she went out on the date with him she called to complain that he was a loser and that she was going to get back at me. What else was new? Now I had Jade and Trina after me, but that's okay, because I've never seen Robbie happier. How he fixed Rex I would never know, and I don't care. Maybe, the only plus side to all this was the look on Jade's face when I pecked her on the cheek. I think I might have made her blush. That was a feat all on its own, and probably yet another thing between us that we would never speak of again. That was fine with me, because not speaking about it didn't mean that it didn't happen.


	15. The Diddly-Bops

**Haven't updated this in some time. I have to get back in the swing of things so sorry if this fell flat, but I have to start somewhere, right? By the way, I've been trying to think of some ideas for a Halloween one shot but I can't come up with anything, so if you have any ideas or something you want to see, let me know.**

* * *

**~Tori~**

Lunch time, yes! I got up to walk out with the rest of the class but Sikowitz called me back along with our group. Aww, I guess lunch would have to wait. I wonder what he wanted this time. I walked back over and noticed he had a purse. Well, that wasn't there before. I asked him and he denied it until he looked down to see that he did. He didn't know where it came from. How did he not know? Now he was wondering what happened to his bagels.

"Can I leave?" Jade questioned, impatient as ever. I glanced at her casually standing under Beck arm, her hand laced with his. The sight made me a little wistful.

"Wait," Sikowitz told her. He looked to the rest of us.

"How would you teenagers like to do something for money?" he continued. Cat and Robbie exchanged a look. Jade looked at him with suspicion while Beck seemed to think about it. I was with Jade.

"Can we have some details first?" I asked him.

"Well, I assume you are all familiar with Kevin Chase," Sikowitz began. Beck was quick to step forward, dropping his arm from Jade's shoulder.

"The guy who owns half the hotels in Vegas?" he questioned.

"**I'm** telling the story," Sikowitz stated forcefully.

"Sorry," Beck apologized with hands raised.

"Kevin was my roommate in college and now he's extremely wealthy and his little boy is turning four years old this week. Ah, the big oh four," he explained, moving to retrieve something to sit on as he talked.

"What do you want man?" Rex demanded. He had a point. I didn't miss Rex's rudeness but since almost killing him I've had a little more tolerance for him.

"Kevin hired the Waggafuffles…" Sikowitz began again, but Cat gasped dramatically and grabbed at Rex's shoulder with excitement.

"…to perform a song at his son's birthday party," he finished.

"Oh, I love the Waggafuffles!" Cat exclaimed, starting to sing one of the songs while dancing along. Rex silenced her.

"Shut up!" he yelled.

"Rex told me to shut up!" she said with offense, looking to Sikowitz.

"Yes, thank you Rex," he responded. Cat gasped, further offended. I couldn't help smiling at that. Only Sikowitz could tell it like it was and nothing else could be said to change it. Jade sighed and stepped forward.

"I'll give you this dollar to get to the point," she told him, holding out the money. Sikowitz stood up.

"I couldn't possibly take your money," he said, doing the opposite and pocketing it. He turned away and returned to the stage.

"Apparently, the Waggafuffles private jet…crashed…and so, now Kevin needs a new musical group to perform at his son's birthday party," he explained, laughing a little but becoming serious soon after. I glanced at the others, wondering if they already caught on.

"So you want us to form a kiddie musical group?" Robbie questioned. Ok good, so it wasn't just me hearing this.

"For just one performance," Sikowitz said.

"No," Jade refused, getting ready to leave. She took Beck with her and he didn't disagree so I assumed he felt the same way.

"He'll pay you a thousand dollars," Sikowitz stated. My eyes widened and Andre looked a little more interested. Jade paused and then slowly returned. She stopped next to me with Beck behind her, his arms around her shoulders and her hands resting on his. I looked away to address our teacher.

"A thousand?" I repeated, unable to believe it.

"Shall I tell my friend you're all in?" he asked.

"Uh, where would we do this?" Andre inquired.

"I'll set up the party here at school; in the Black Box Theater. You can perform on stage after the kids have their cake and ice cream. It'll be fantastic," he answered with wild gestures. As he spoke, a woman walked into the classroom.

"There you are," she said, stepping on stage.

"Ah, my bagels! Sorry about the uh, mix up there," Sikowitz responded. He held out the purse and she took it just as she gave him the bag of bagels.

"Pull your head outta your pants!" she told him, then strode away. Wow.

"Bye mom!" he called to her just as the door shut.

"That was your mom?" I wondered. Sikowitz turned to us.

"Noooo," he responded, shaking his head. My eyebrows furrowed and I happened to glance at Jade who looked at me too. Both our expressions clearly confused about his behavior. Sikowitz walked away to rest his forehead on the white board, dropping the bagels on the floor by his feet.

"Can we go **now**?" Jade spoke up. Sikowitz made some sort of sound which I took as a positive. I shrugged and headed for the door, everyone else going with me. At lunch we made plans to go to my house after school so that we could start thinking up a song. Everyone agreed and the day carried on. With Andre a part of the group this shouldn't be too hard. But when the end of the day came and it was starting to get dark and we were all still at a loss for what to do, I began to think differently. I stood in the kitchen, looking out at my friends while preparing drinks. Andre was at the piano. Cat was sitting on a raised portion on the stairs leaning back on a pillow and holding her stuffed rabbit. Robbie was sitting on one couch with his guitar, Rex next to him. Beck lounged on the other couch, on his phone. Jade sat on the floor with her back resting on the couch Beck was laying on. She was busy chopping up the flowers she took straight from my mom's garden. I tried to stop her but she snipped her scissors at me so I decided it was safer to just let her have it.

"Ok, what do we have so far?" I asked Andre as I walked over to him.

"I dunno. Cat, record this?" he said, looking to her.

"Kay kay. Recording," she replied, picking up her phone and holding it up.

"My grandpa has a nose and my grandma has a nose. Everyone you know has a nose, nose, nose," he sung, accompanying it with a few keys of the piano. I smiled but it dropped when Jade cut in.

"My grandfather's nose was blown off in the war so that song is a filthy lie," she stated, glaring at him over her shoulder. The flowers in her hands were mutilated as she spoke. I frowned and then groaned, walking away to stand by Andre. Couldn't she take a break for one day? I knew she could but why didn't she?

"Well, I'm sorry. I'm a serious musician. I don't know how to write a little kiddie song," he replied defensively. Now what?

"Why did we say we'd do this?" Beck questioned.

"It'll be fun," Cat answered. Jade scoffed a laugh.

"Yeah, it's so fun to put on humiliating costumes and dance around like idiots for sticky little three year olds," she said, fake smile in place.

"Four year olds, and my mom grew those flowers in her garden," I reminded her, a hand on my hip.

"They're lovely," she remarked, right before she started shredding them some more. I sighed and crossed my arms.

"Ok, what do you guys think about **this** song?" Robbie spoke up. Cat stood with her phone at the ready and I walked over to lean on the back of the couch Beck sat on. Robbie adjusted his guitar, cleared his throat, and then began.

"It's fun to run, it's fun to play, it's fun to make things out of clay, it's fun to fill your car with gas, it's fun to break things made of glass," he sang. The tune was catchy and made me bounce a little in place. That is, until he got to the part about glass. What? Everyone else seemed to think the same thing too.

"Broken glass could cut your hand and then you'll bleed across the land and-" he started again, but I had enough.

"We're not doing that!" I yelled at him. He quickly stopped.

"Well we have to write a song about something," Cat said as I took a seat on the edge of the couch, careful not to get too close to Beck.

"Ok, let's think. What do four year old little kids like?" he asked.

"Um, cartoons," Cat answered.

"Animals," Andre suggested.

"Being annoying," Jade supplied, cutting the head off a flower.

"Broken glass," Robbie sang, strumming his guitar with a big smile. I shook my head. Andre's phone went off and he stood to take the call, leaving to talk out on the patio. I retrieved my laptop and opened it up. It was time to search the internet for ideas.

"Oh, right here. On SPLASHFace, the top seven most popular kiddie songs are all about food," I told them. Beck leaned in to better see the screen.

"So let's write a kiddie song about food," Cat said. Robbie jumped at the idea.

"Oh, broken glass is not a food so don't you listen to some dude who says put cheese on broken glass and make a sandwich out of broken glass," he began again.

"What is wrong with you?" I asked him. He could put together a song, that's cool, but why about that? Oh boy. He frowned and deflated.

"I like it," Jade commented. It was the first positive comment since starting this, but it didn't help. Robbie gestured to her with a smile. No, we weren't going to use that, especially if it was Jade approved. Andre came back in and said good bye to whoever was on the phone. He called me over soon after and I got up to see what he wanted.

"What's up?" I asked, letting him pull me into the kitchen. It turned out that the record label he told me about was interested in him but he had to write a song to show them what he could do. I cheered, happy for him, and gave him a hug.

"How about a song about broken glass? I'll help you write it after class. There is no song that can surpass the song we sing about broken glass," Robbie suddenly began, appearing behind Andre who backed away from him to stand by me.

"Harmonica solo!" Robbie continued, playing the harmonica that was designed so that it could be held in front of his mouth for him. I shook my head then pushed past Robbie.

"It's getting late, guys. You wanna try again another time?" I asked. Jade hopped up.

"I couldn't agree more," she said with a nod. They all got ready to leave and I walked them to the door. Jade went to snag another flower in the flower bed outside the front door and I glared at her.

"One for the road," she taunted, shaking it at me. I rolled my eyes and went back inside. So, this was a little more challenging than I had thought. The next few days we worked hard to come up with a song worthy of being sung to little kids. Andre was the one to pull through for us, just as I had hoped. He came up with the tune and we all added in the parts about food. It came out great. Cat was in charge of the costumes. She took to it eagerly. I wasn't happy about being a giant ice cream, but Jade looked even more upset at being a giant hamburger. I couldn't help but laugh the first time I saw her wearing it. She shoved me in retaliation. Good thing my costume had cushion. Before we knew it, the day had arrived. The Black Box Theater was all decked out and the kids came with their parents. We were backstage getting into costume but I left to find Sikowitz to keep him informed. I called to him from behind the curtain and gestured him over.

"You guys ready?" he questioned, stepping behind the curtain with me.

"Almost. Everyone's changing into their costumes," I answered, holding the huge cherry hat I would be wearing.

"Fantastic!" he responded.

"And Andre wrote us a really great little kid's song," I added, holding out the flash drive of the file we recorded.

"Not the one Robbie left on my voice mail about broken glass, is it?" he questioned. I shuddered.

"No, it's really cute," I assured him.

"Excellent," he said, pleased. I nodded.

"This is a very nice thing you guys are doing here," he went on.

"Yeah, yeah, a thousand bucks, right?" I responded. As much as kids weren't a problem for me, I didn't like the idea of dancing around for their entertainment. The money made it a little more bearable.

"Indeed," Sikowitz confirmed. I smiled, satisfied with the answer. Just then, Cat ran up to get my attention.

"Hey, you better come help Jade," she said.

"What?" I asked.

"She can't get her boobs in the hamburger," Cat said with a sigh. She…what?

"Pardon?" Sikowitz questioned. Yeah, I wasn't repeating that.

"Just…we'll be ready in ten minutes," I replied.

"Come on," I urged, grabbing Cat by the wrist to speed her along. Jade hadn't had trouble before, but then again, Cat always helped her. She must have had a harder time this time around though if even Cat wasn't enough. I sighed, feeling a little apprehensive as we strode to the dressing room.

**~Jade~**

Had I been a lesser person I would have made this into a ploy all to get Vega's help in order to have some contact, but I wasn't. The horrible truth was, I literally could not fit into the stupid burger. I cursed Cat for not paying attention to the measurements, but there was nothing I could do about it now. Cat and I tried but we needed extra hands so I reluctantly told her to go get Vega to help. Honestly, I wouldn't have wanted her help but I sure wasn't going to ask Beck or something. I sighed and looked up when Vega and Cat arrived.

"What's wrong? It was fine before, right?" Vega asked. She looked a little flustered, a hand coming up to swipe away a lock of hair, but that could just be because she had run over here. I stood up.

"Not really. Blame Cat for that. Now shut up and help me in this thing," I demanded. She frowned but walked over. Cat picked up the costume and I stepped in. Cat moved to widen the opening from the back when it came to my chest but Vega hadn't moved to help.

"Hurry up, Vega," I ordered, my voice unintentionally sharp from nerves. She walked over after setting aside her cherry hat then reached out to widen the opening at the front. I glanced at her to see her eyes on the task, biting at her bottom lip. I looked away.

"Ok, tug!" Cat said from behind me. They both pulled, the costume sliding over my chest. I knew I was blushing at least, because I was more than aware of the subtle contact of her knuckles brushing against me. As soon as the task was done she stepped away quickly while I busied myself with getting my arms through the holes at the sides.

"We'll be starting soon," she mumbled, tucking back a strand of hair and not meeting my eyes. She grabbed her hat then bolted. Why was she so embarrassed? Unless she felt the same…? No. It was just awkward for her having to be so close. That's all. I nodded and then looked to Cat who was watching me with a calculating expression I rarely saw on her.

"What?" I demanded. She shook her head and a smile broke out on her face.

"Nothing! Let's go!" she cheered, picking up her own costume, slipped into it, and raced out of the room. I felt like she was the only one looking forward to this. I sure wasn't. I had to remind myself that there was money involved. That made it a little better. But not by much.

**~Tori~**

* * *

Okay…there're IN the hamburger.

Now, it's SHOWTIME!

(for 4 year olds) :/

Feeling: Foody

* * *

We were all gathered and ready behind the curtain. I listened as Sikowitz went on stage to introduce us to the children. They were happy to hear about the Waggafuffles and booed when they were told that they weren't here. Sikowitz avoided a little girl's statement that their plane crashed and continued on to talk about our temporary musical group that would be performing for them.

"I give you…the, um…the Diddly-Bops!" he shouted, fumbling for a name. Oh yeah, we hadn't thought of that. He ran over to signal to us and then left so that we could run out on stage. The kids sounded happy enough at least. They were clapping and cheering. Hopefully we pulled this off or we were going to make ourselves look horrible even to the little kids.

"Hi kids!" Cat chirped, a natural in this setting.

"Apparently, we're the Diddly-Bops!" I chimed in.

"We're here to sing you a special song," Andre added.

"All about your favorite foods," Robbie joined in.

"Sing about dinosaurs!" a little boy demanded.

"Nooo!" Beck answered, drawing out the word.

"Now get ready!" Cat announced with a flourish and a wink. Man, she was getting into this. Sinjin started up the song from his place up on the catwalk and we all started dancing. The song was pretty much the only thing that ran in my head daily since learning it. I had to admit it was pretty catchy, which made it easier to learn, but I never wanted to do it again. As I sang and danced I glanced to the others. Andre was just holding his cool just barely, Beck was unenthusiastic, Robbie had a big smile, and Cat acted out every single line with gusto. Jade did her part and sang the song without an ounce of happiness, but the look on her face was like she was holding back a need to murder someone. I hoped it wasn't me. At one point we danced by each other during a break in singing.

"Hate this," she told me, teeth clenched.

"A thousand bucks," I answered, leaving out as much irritation as I could.

"Not enough," she retorted, dancing away. Hey, at least all the kids looked happy and were dancing where they sat. That was the point, right? We sung the last verse and then gathered together to end the song. The kids went nuts, cheering and clapping. Whew. It was done.

"Do another song!" Sinjin excitedly shouted from above. Beck pointed at him.

"Nooo!" he responded in a forced happy tone.

"Happy Birthday Henry!" I said, looking to the little boy in the crowd. Everyone started clapping. I smiled. Even though it was kinda degrading and not so fun, it was for a good cause and I felt accomplished.

"We did this for money," Jade bitterly announced, yanking the smile off my face with her words. I looked over my shoulder to see her stride off stage and took that as our cue to leave. I waved at the kids and followed her, the others walking off with me. We all got dressed and then headed for home, Jade shooting me a glare like I had forced her into this. Hey, blame the money, not me. So I frowned in return. She huffed out a breath and marched out. The next day couldn't have come faster. We did what was asked of us, we were paid, and it was back to the old grind. That included Jade hunting me down while I was at my locker. What did I do this time?

"Hey, Vega," she called to me, making me turn to look at her. She looked nice today. Not nice as in the never-threatening-to-cut-off-someone's finger-with-scissors kind of way. She just looked good. And I was thinking that, why?

"Here's your Theater History book," she said, holding it out. Oh, yeah. I forgot that I let her borrow it.

"Thanks," she mumbled quietly after I took it from her. That was better than nothing. I flipped it around in my hands and frowned at its black surface.

"Why is it all black now?" I asked. She stopped digging in her bag after finding a piece of gum. She ate it and then looked up to address my question.

"I have black paint," she answered. Ok…I looked down at it again and then back to her.

"But, but why would you paint…?" I tried to say, but Lane calling my name cut me off. I turned around to see him and a small boy holding his hand. He greeted Jade too when he walked over.

"Hey," I said in return.

"What?" Jade asked bluntly.

"This is my little nephew, Devon," Lane explained, a hand on the smiling boy's shoulder.

"Hey, Devon," I said, smiling.

"What?" Jade emphasized with a little more force than before. She was probably getting impatient.

"He loves the Diddly-Bops and wanted to know if he could get your autographs. Right?" Lane said with a pat to the kid's head. Aww, how sweet. Wait, what? I exchanged a look with Jade who was frowning with her arms crossed and then turned back to Lane.

"Uh, how does he know about the Diddly-Bops?" I questioned.

"Oh, we saw you guys do your song Favorite Foods on that website. You know, Videos For Kideos," he replied. I looked to Jade again, sharing her horrified expression.

"What?" she questioned, with shock now unlike the two other times she said it.

"We're on that website?" I inquired.

"Top of the home page," Lane confirmed. Oh no.

"Wait, someone recorded us?!" Jade exclaimed.

"Can I have your autograph?" Devon's small voice suddenly cut through our panic. Jade stared down at him with that look that I knew meant she was at a loss for what to do so I reached out and took the pen and pad from him.

"Sure," I reluctantly accepted.

"She was the ice cream cone and she was the hamburger," Lane pointed out to Devon. I passed the pen and pad to Jade.

"Yeah, don't talk about it," she grumbled, jotting something down quickly.

"Yeah, seriously, don't," I agreed. Jade handed it back to Devon.

"I really appreciate this guys," Lane told us.

"No prob," I responded.

"She wrote a bad word!" Devon announced, pointing at Jade. How could she do that? She leaned over ominously, arms still crossed.

"I write what I feel," she stated pointedly. Lane took a look at what she wrote and wasn't amused.

"Let's go Devon," she said, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder to steer him away. He managed to shoot Jade a look before he left. She just shrugged.

"What does the word mean?" Devon questioned as they walked.

"Just keep walking," Lane answered with a shake of his head. I looked to Jade with a frown. I get that being dancing food wasn't our proudest moment, but writing bad words to kids?

"Don't look at me like that, Vega," she snapped, turning on her heel and stomping back down the hall. I sighed and shook my head before returning to my locker.

* * *

WHO PUT US ON THE

INTERNET?! GRRRR!

Feeling: Wazzed

* * *

I sighed as I made my way to our usual table, setting down my food next to Andre and then taking a seat after setting down my bag. I noticed that he had his laptop. It reminded me of what Lane said.

"Did you see the video someone took of us?" I mentioned.

"What video?" he questioned. I didn't want to have to do it, but he deserved to know. I reached over and typed in what I needed then played the video for him. He groaned, watching our food themed song and dance on the screen.

"Man, I don't wanna be on the internet looking like a big blob of stupid spaghetti," he bemoaned, closing the laptop. I looked to him with a sad frown but couldn't say anything to cheer him up. I knew how he felt. Suddenly, the sound of fast clopping footsteps was heard. I knew that sound. Trina came running up to our table seconds later.

"I thought we were sisters!" she stated with irritation.

"Nah, I'm a dude," Andre replied. I only looked up at her.

"Not **you**. You formed a musical group and didn't ask me to be in it?" Trina demanded, dismissing Andre as she sat down to face me. Why would she even **want** to be in something like that?

"**We** didn't want to be in it," I told her, pointing to me and Andre.

"Then, why did you-" Trina started to ask, but then Sinjin cut across her when he showed up.

"Hey Andre. There's a handsome man over there who wants to talk to you," he said with a point of his finger out to the parking lot. We all looked and the man waved back.

"He is handsome. Who is he?" I asked.

"The guy I told you about. From the record label," Andre answered.

"He's a music producer?" Trina questioned, already getting up.

"Down, girl," I ordered, grabbing at her wrist before she could run off.

"I'll be back," Andre said as he stood. We watched him go before Trina tried to get up again. I held her back to the best of my ability, but when Trina was on a mission there was no stopping her. She ended up dragging me off my seat when she pulled free, running over to where Andre and the man were talking. I pushed myself up and sat back down to see her wild actions. She was no doubt attempting to sing. The man looked at her funny and Andre made a gesture like he didn't know what was happening so the man ran for his car. Trina ran after him. Andre tried to stop her but she swatted at him so he left her alone. The man drove off and Trina ran after him, screaming at the top of her lungs in what she believed to be singing. How did she manage to run in those heels? Why did that always astound me? Andre sat back down next to me.

"I tried to stop her," he said. I shook my head.

"Yeah, good try, but it's useless," I responded.

"I thought so too," he said with a nod.

"So what happened?" I asked. He sighed before telling me what the man told him. Poor Andre. I was just about to try and cheer him up when the rest of the gang showed up minus Cat. They settled in, Jade across from Andre with Robbie and Rex next to her. Beck leaned on the nearby pillar. Jade instantly took out her phone, attention on the device. I explained to them what happened so that they were up to date before turning back to Andre.

"Oh, come on. It's not that bad," I tried, yet Andre still looked downtrodden.

"I just lost the best shot I've ever had at signing with a major record label," he replied.

"Which is baaaad," Rex commented. I glared at him and so did everyone else.

"Y'all can stare at me but it's still bad," he stated.

"Dude, you know you're an awesome song writer and musician," Beck told him.

"The best," I added truthfully.

"And, there are other record labels," Jade supplied, finally looking up from her phone.

"Yeah, and they're all gonna look me up on the internet and see me dressed like a pile of noodles singing a stupid kiddie song," he retorted. Jade sighed and set down her phone.

"Well, maybe, but that doesn't mean that your life is over," Robbie said.

"It kinda does," Rex disagreed. Jade glanced at the puppet, and without warning, tore his arm clean off. Rex started screaming and Robbie panicked.

"Gimme his arm back!" he demanded. Jade smirked but handed it over.

"Rude!" Rex accused.

"Yep," she agreed, going back to her phone. Trina came running back at that moment and leaned heavily on the table. She was out of breath.

"Where've you been?" I asked her. She sat down.

"I chased that record producer for seven blocks," she gasped, snatching up my water bottle and taking a drink.

"I finally caught him at a red light and he tried to back over me. Can you believe that?" she continued, indignant. We all gave the same answer, which was that we could definitely believe it.

"Hey you guys! Guess what?" Cat shouted happily as she ran over to us. We all gave her our attention.

"I got us another gig," she announced, grinning.

"What kind of gig?" I asked, suspicious.

"The Diddly-Bops. I got us booked at the Green Meadow Mall, Friday after school," she responded. We all deflated at that.

"**Why**?" I questioned, agitated. She looked confused for a moment.

"'Cause little kids **love** us and I thought we all liked being the Diddly-Bops," she replied, like it was obvious. We all made it clear that we hated being the Diddly-Bops. Cat's eyes widened in disbelief.

"But they're gonna pay us, and I promised we'd be there," she said.

"We are never performing as the Diddly-Bops ever again," Jade stated, jabbing her finger at Cat to make sure she was taken seriously.

"Oh phooey," Cat pouted. Jade merely crossed her arms.

"Why don't you rip her arm off?" Rex inquired. Jade turned her steely glare on him and he flinched away.

"I'll be a Diddly-Bop," Trina offered.

"You will?" Cat replied, happy once more.

"Why?" Jade asked, just as stumped as I was.

"'Cause I'll be on stage performing and getting paid for singing to people who adore me," she said with a shrug and a smile.

"You'll be dressed as a hamburger," Beck told her.

"Singing to four year olds," Robbie added.

"Don't you have any respect for yourself?" I asked her.

"Take me to the hamburger," Trina decided after a few seconds of thought.

"Come on!" Cat exclaimed with joy. Trina jumped up and the two ran off.

"Stupid idiots," Jade concluded, watching them leave. I wanted to disagree but I couldn't. I met her eyes from across the table for a second but she looked away. I sighed and shook my head.

* * *

ANDRE - WHERE R U?!

Feeling: Searchy

* * *

Usually I saw Andre in the classes we shared and we would walk together to our next class, but I didn't see him. Maybe he was hiding out because he was feeling down about the whole record deal thing so, I decided to find him. The problem was, I had no idea where he could be. I got out of my recent class early and took the extra time to go looking for him. I ended up running into Jade. Just my luck.

**~Jade~**

Oh god, not Vega. I couldn't just go through my day without the hassle of having to talk to her at every second of the day, could I? No, I just had to run into her. I crossed my arms after she crashed into me and became a solid wall.

"Vega," I said simply.

"Jade," she replied.

"What are you sneaking around for?" I questioned.

"I'm not sneaking around," she denied.

"Then what are you doing?" I pressed.

"What do you care?" she retorted, walking around me to peek into a classroom. I recognized it as a class Andre had.

"Looking for Andre?" I guessed. She turned to me with creased brows.

"Yeah, how did you know?" she wondered.

"I don't know. It must have something to do with the fact that Andre isn't too happy, you can't leave things alone, and that's one of his classes so you must be looking for him," I explained.

"I just want to help him," she said, holding back the frown she must want to direct at me. I raised a brow, already knowing that.

"Don't act like you don't care. You tried to cheer him up at lunch and even got back at Rex for being mean," she continued, pointing at me. I smacked her hand away and took a step forward so that she stumbled back.

"Of course I care. Don't forget, he was my friend before he was yours. I just don't feel the need to chase him down and keep bothering him until he gets over it," I told her.

"I'm not chasing him down," she insisted. She just can't fight her ridiculous urge to help people at any cost. I might as well throw her a bone. She wouldn't stop being annoying unless she felt like she did something to help.

"Whatever. He's in the Black Box Theater," I said, turning away. She brightened.

"Thanks, Jade," she said with a smile, brushing my arm on her way down the hall. I stayed stuck in place for a moment, watching her disappear, before snapping myself out of it. No, I did not help her. I just wanted her to leave me alone. I headed for the exit and tried not to think about the alternative.

**~Tori~**

I walked into the Black Box Theater and immediately spotted Andre sitting on the floor by the door. He had his keyboard on his lap and a jug of chocolate milk in hand. He really must be down to be chugging all that sugar at once. I walked over to him.

"Hey. What are you doing? You missed two classes," I greeted him, concerned.

"I was just sitting in here," he responded.

"What, pouting?" I pointed out.

"No," he denied, crossing his arms. The frown on his face when I sat down in front of him was one that a child would have. He was definitely pouting.

"Listen, I know you're upset but you're not making things better by ditching class and sitting here by yourself drinking a gallon of…chocolate beverage," I replied, reaching over to pick up said drink before setting it down.

"Do you understand that for me, being taken seriously as a singer and a song writer is everything," he stressed.

"People do take you seriously," I told him.

"They did until…" he began, punctuating the problem by playing his keyboard and singing the food song mockingly.

"It's catchy," I said with a shrug.

"Catchy like a rash," he retorted.

"Ok, then if you don't like your song…change it," I suggested, seeing no other way. His eyebrows came together in thought.

"What do you mean, change it?" he asked. The bell rang, signaling that I had to go.

"I have to get to class," I said, getting up. He would figure it out.

"You comin'?" I asked him. He looked up at me, making no move to follow. He then picked up the jug and took a drink. I dropped my hands and sighed then walked out. I tried. I couldn't help but wonder how Andre was doing the rest of the day. It almost came as a surprise when he came by my house later that night, knocking on the door until I answered and claiming that he got it as soon as he saw me.

"What did you get?" I asked, moving aside when he ran for our piano. Instead of answering, he took a seat and started singing a familiar song. But it was different. It was still catchy but the lyrics weren't geared toward little kids anymore. When he finished I clapped from my place leaning on the piano.

"That song is so awesome! How did you turn Favorite Foods into that?" I asked, amazed.

"I just stopped drinking my chocolate beverage and got busy," he responded.

"Well, you **have** to play it for that record guy's boss," I encouraged him.

"How?" he inquired.

"You can do a live performance at school," I suggested.

"They're not gonna come," he disagreed.

"Yeah! They will! I'll beg them! I'm a very good beggar! Ok?" I said, not taking no for an answer. I ran around the piano just as he stood up.

"Dude-" he began, but I silenced him.

"Listen!" I shouted, grabbing him with both hands by the front of his shirt.

"If I can get them to come will you just sing your stupid song that's not stupid anymore?" I questioned him.

"Will you sing back-up for me?" he replied with his own question, still unsure. I grinned.

"Yeah I will!" I agreed, excited. I let him go when Trina slowly made her way down the stairs, dragging the hamburger costume with her. Andre and I turned to her.

"How did Jade fit her boobs in this hamburger?" Trina asked, attempting to do the same. I fought back the sudden blush. She didn't fit. She had some help. But I didn't say anything. Instead, I said my good byes to Andre and he left. Tomorrow I would be helping him sing the new song and Trina would be performing for little kids so she wouldn't be there to chase the record label guys away. I was so excited I headed to bed early and went through the next day with a smile.

**~Jade~**

Vega was driving me crazy with her peppy attitude. It was almost as bad as Cat. Vega agitated me more than Cat though, because for some stupid reason, I liked that peppy ball of sunshine. How annoying. I stalked the halls on my way to my next class when I saw Vega at her locker. I strode over, unable to stop myself from giving her a hard time and possibly bring her down from her apparent high.

"What's with the Joker grin?" I questioned.

"Did Andre say anything about the new song he came up with?" she asked me, not at all reacting to my comment the way I wanted her too.

"He might have mentioned it in passing," I replied. He told me all about his newly created song he would perform after school and that Vega would provide support. So she succeeded in her need to help once again.

"Well, I'm going to sing it with him after school for that record label. Andre gave me their number and I spent almost an hour convincing them to give him another chance. But like I told him, I'm a very good beggar," she said with triumph. I smirked, moving to lean against the lockers and slightly closer to her.

"I bet you are," I remarked, lowering my voice just a bit and locking eyes with her. She gulped, broadcasting her discomfort with knit brows and wringing hands.

"Um, ok, well, I have to go. So…" she murmured, hitching her thumb over her shoulder before quickly running away. I chuckled and slammed her locker shut. She left it open in her haste to escape the situation. She might be annoying most of the time but she sure was a good source of entertainment.

**~Tori~**

I stood off to the side of the outdoor balcony located in the Asphalt Café. While I waited for Andre to get ready I kept going over what Jade had said. What did she mean? I tried to think back to a time when I begged her for anything and came up with many situations. She was always pleased to see me begging. But that was because she had control issues, right? That was all it was, right? Nothing else, right? And yet I couldn't stop my mind from wandering just a little, but then Andre shook me back into the present.

"You ready?" he asked me. I nodded. He smiled gratefully then turned to the crowd gathered below.

"This is called Song 2 You," he announced into the mic in front of him. Another stood next to it for me. The crowd cheered, and one glance at them revealed Jade standing next to Beck toward the front. Andre began the song and I began dancing a little while I waited for the few moments where I would sing with him. From up here I could see when the record label guy and his boss showed up. I even saw Sikowitz's van which pulled up and opened to spill out the new members of the Diddly-Bops. Their costumes were a mess, hanging off them in pieces, but despite that they started dancing too when they heard the song. I wondered what happened but concentrated on the song, making a mental note to ask about it later. My eyes fell back on Jade while I sung a line with Andre, just in time to see Beck smile and lean close to kiss her temple. She seemed to adore the attention. I looked away to the back, trying to make out the boss' expression. He didn't look like he hated it, so that was good. When the song finished the guy signaled what seemed to be a positive sign after talking with his boss. I cheered and grabbed Andre in a hug. He did it! I was so happy I temporarily forgot about everything else. Hopefully they gave him a chance now. Andre really was a good song writer and musician.


	16. Wok Star

**There isn't much to add to an episode that mainly features Jori but I did my best. By the by, if you haven't checked it out yet, I added more to _The Horror of Our Love_. It's a continuation of the third chapter, _The Curse_. Stop by and let me know what you think.**

* * *

**~Tori~**

Is it weird to consider Jade as a friend even though we fight more than we get along? We do have our moments where we work surprisingly well together though. I mean, the school projects we were paired for and those random videos for The Slap turned out well. But then there were the times she made it clear we weren't friends. She was hard to handle, but the times where we were closer to a kind of friendship really made up for it. The unique bell signaled that class was over so I collected my things and headed out with everyone else. Andre and Cat joined me as we took the hall down to the main staircase. We had gotten on the topic of best places to eat while deciding on something to eat later. I brought up my own choice, to Andre and Cat's slight skepticism.

"No, no, no, no. You're not getting it. This is like **the best** Chinese food ever," I insisted as we made our way down the stairs.

"I mean, they have these egg rolls that are just so good," I continued. Cat gasped, bringing both mine and Andre's attention to her.

"One time, when I was little, I had an egg roll with the most **amazing** sauce. It was sweet but also kinda sour. Oh man, what was it called?" she asked, snapping her fingers. Andre and I exchanged a look.

"Sweet and sour sauce?" he suggested.

"No…" she disagreed.

"No?" Andre repeated, confused. While Cat debated on that my attention wandered, landing on Beck who had just showed up. He seemed a little distracted.

"Hey, Beck," I greeted.

"Yeah, what's up?" he replied. I began telling him about going to the Chinese place I suggested but my fumbling hands almost lost their grip on my laptop case. I rushed to catch it before trying again, just a bit embarrassed. He smiled, politely ignoring my clumsiness.

"After school we're going to this insane Chinese restaurant I found up the street. Wanna come?" I offered.

"Uhhm, maybe. If I can find Jade," he replied with a finger raised. He paced past us, reserved. I wonder what happened between them now. Not that it was any of my business, of course. Luckily Andre was the one to speak up.

"Where is she?" he asked. Beck halted with his arms out.

"I dunno. She blew off her last two classes," he answered with a shrug.

"She still mad?" I guessed. Knowing Jade, that was most likely it. She had been upset about her play being turned away. Beck looked to me.

"**Oh** yeah," he emphasized with a nod.

"Why is Jade mad?" Cat wondered.

"'Cause, you know that play she wrote, Well Wishes?" Beck began. Cat made a sound of acknowledgement.

"Well, she wanted to put it on here at the school and they won't let her," he explained. Ah, see. I knew it.

"Why not?" Andre asked.

"The teachers think it's too weird and disturbing," I supplied, thinking back to what I heard her angrily muttering under her breath. I felt someone behind me and tensed.

"What's wrong with weird and disturbing?" Sinjin questioned, leaning in too close for comfort. I turned to look at him.

"Umm, your pants are unzipped," I informed him.

"I know," he replied easily, walking away. Strange as always. I shook my head and turned back around to see Robbie running up to us.

"We found Jade," he announced, trying to catch his breath.

"Where?" Beck questioned.

"Janitor's…closet," Rex panted, as if he had been running too. As soon as the words were out Beck was on the move and we all tailed him to the destination. We really should have figured that one out. Jade often went there to be alone or to think. When Beck opened the door, greeting Jade casually but with some caution, it was to her diligently chopping up a trashcan with a big pair of scissors.

"Whatcha doin'?" Beck inquired.

"Cutting up a big trashcan," she answered evenly, still hacking away at the thick plastic.

"You cut up the janitor's entire trashcan?" Robbie asked.

"He's got another one," she promptly answered, jabbing at the miraculously intact trashcan over her shoulder. I sighed and decided to step in.

"Jade, listen. I read your play and I think it's really good," I told her, hoping to stop the vandalism of school property. At first, I was a little afraid to read it, but when I realized that Jade was letting me get a look at her work I couldn't resist. I could see why the school said no but I could also see why they should allow it.

"I'm not your friend," she countered bluntly, not even looking at me.

"**Well**," I responded, a bit offended. I was only trying to help.

"Anyway, if the school won't let me do my play then who cares if it's good," she pointed out. Her piercing gaze finally flicked up to me and I couldn't help but avert my eyes. Jade's gaze could be intense. More so when she was upset. I could understand why she blew off my compliment though. Cat scooted in next to me.

"Why don't you just produce your play yourself?" she suggested.

"You know how much money that would cost?" Jade replied, going back to cutting a piece of the trashcan.

"No…" Cat said in the same manner she had not too long ago in regards to the sweet and sour sauce. Andre shuffled in behind her.

"Did she cut up that whole trashcan with just a pair of scissors?" he questioned, eyes wide in amazement. I shot him a look before turning to Jade.

"How much do you think it would really cost to produce your play?" I questioned.

"I dunno. Two, three grand," she huffed out, like it was a chore to answer me. At least she did without too much fuss.

"Ok, well then it shouldn't be that hard to find somebody to put up the money," I said with a shrug. There had to be someone out there who appreciated her work, right? Jade stopped what she was doing and got to her feet. We all took a step back just in case. She was wielding scissors after all.

"You'd really find me someone to put up the money to produce my play?" she asked me, her hand gesticulating with each word. My eyes remained on the scissors swinging through the air but I looked to her when I realized that she had taken a few steps closer to me. There was a tone to her voice that I couldn't place. Oh, man. I hastily tried to backtrack.

"I meant that-" I stammered, but she quickly cut me off.

"Hey!" she screamed, swinging around, scissors still in hand, to address our friends. They all flinched back with only Beck offering a smile even though it was forced.

"Did she not say, 'It shouldn't be that hard to find someone to put up the money'," Jade stated, using that dang tone she claimed sounded like me. There was a scatter of answers that were mostly mumbled. Some help they were. Jade wasn't interested in listening anymore anyway. She turned back to me, expectant.

"So you'll do that? Right?" she said, waiting. It took me some time to reply.

"Sure," I squeaked out, uncertain of what I got myself into this time. Jade closed the scissors with an ominous snip.

"Good," she said, her arm grazing mine as she pushed her way out the door. Everyone let out their held breath. I wondered how I was going to fix this latest problem. Cat suddenly gasped and hopped around.

"Sweet and sour sauce!" she exclaimed like she just had an epiphany. She left the small room shortly after.

"I said sweet and sour," Andre told her, following her out the door. Robbie moved to leave next but I swiftly stepped in front of him, blocking Beck too who was behind him.

"Hey! Do you guys wanna give me three thousand bucks to produce Jade's play?" I asked, knowing it to be a lost cause but hoping for some support in the matter at the very least. They both made noises of uncertainty but didn't bother with an actual answer. They slid past me and I was left to pout. With a grumble I turned on my heel to leave. Some friends they were. It looked like I was on my own for this one. Again.

* * *

Chewing Chinese food with Andre

and Robbie. HEY…will someone

pls give me $3,000 for Jade's play?!

Feeling: Full

* * *

So I might not have a plan just yet, but I hoped thinking on a full stomach could help. It was nice just hanging out with Andre and Robbie at my new favorite eatery, enjoying the time, and definitely not thinking about what I would do for Jade's play. Not at all. Man, what was I going to do? I pushed it aside for now and picked up my fortune cookie.

"Ok, my fortune says, 'He that is not right is often never wrong'. What?" I read, confused. Both boys looked on with brows furrowed but didn't think much of it like I clearly did.

"Alright. Mine says, 'Help, I'm being held hostage in a Chinese cookie factory'," Andre read out loud. That one was way weird but I nodded at the creativity. Unless it was true…

"Ok, that's pretty good," he accepted.

"You wanna read it?" Robbie asked Rex, taking his turn. Rex agreed and Robbie held it in front of him. Rex cleared his throat.

"It says, 'Robbie will never be loved by a woman," he read, to Robbie's shock. He rushed to look at the fortune for himself.

"What? That's not true!" he exclaimed.

"The cookie has spoken," Rex said, silencing his complaints.

"All right. Back to Jade's play," I stated, brushing my hands of any crumbs. The guys groaned.

"She expects me to find someone to pay for the whole thing," I reminded them, worried. The least they could do was give me some ideas. Why was it that only I tried to help Jade? Right, because I wanted her to like me. So that we could be friends. That's what I meant.

"Well, none of us have that kind of money," Andre responded. I stopped to think of something. Anything.

"Well what about your Bat Mitzvah money?" I questioned Robbie. Yes, I was that desperate. I was a bit afraid what Jade would do if I failed. But I really didn't want to fail for other reasons too. This was just what friends did for each other. Robbie pinched the bridge of his nose.

"First, it was a **Bar** Mitzvah. I'm a boy!" he corrected.

"Theoretically," Rex spoke up. I sighed heavily.

"I already spent the rest of my money on leather pants and male make-up," Robbie continued to explain. Andre's eyes widened at that. He looked to me but I just sat there, perplexed.

"Everything ok?" the proprietor of the restaurant asked us when she walked over. We gave a positive answer with Rex being the only one unimpressed.

"Ooh, HA jacket. You kids go to Hollywood Arts?" she inquired, noticing Andre's jacket. We confirmed her question.

"You know, my daughter auditioned to go to school there but they said she was talentless and irritating," she shared, upset. We fell silent before each of us offered our condolences. Rex of course had something rude to say. She frowned but complied to his demand to give us the check. She asked if there was anything else we wanted and it was almost involuntary when the words fell from my mouth.

"Yes, three thousand dollars to put on a bitter girl's play," I half joked and half sulked.

"What play?" she asked, looking interested.

"Oh, no, I'm joking. How much do we owe?" I told her, reaching over to get the check.

"But I like theater very much. Tell me about the play," she pressed, rushing over.

"Oh. Well, one of our classmates wrote it," I said.

"Yeah, it's about a little girl who falls into a well and then drowns in her own tears," Robbie explained. Rex laughed, commenting at the comedy that wasn't there at all. Andre told him he was sick and Rex asked him what happened between them since apparently they used to be tight. Andre and I shook our heads.

"Ok. I will put up the money for your bitter friend's play," the proprietor announced, determined. Whoa. That was unexpected.

"Why?" I asked her.

"Because, I **love** acting and theater! And maybe one day when you kids get famous you'll end up on my wall of celebrities. Come see. Come! This way. And bring the puppet," she gestured, making us get up and follow her. Andre and I walked over but I saw Robbie hesitate, most likely grumbling that Rex wasn't a puppet.

"You see the celebrities?" she said proudly, pointing to the wall.

"Cool," I commented.

"All those celebrities have eaten here?" Andre inquired.

"Oh, yes," she said with a nod. I gasped and pointed out a picture of Angelina Jolie. The proprietor went on to say that after Angelina placed her order she tried to adopt her daughter. Hm. Imagine that.

* * *

OMG, someone just gave me

$3,000 for Jade's play! And

Robbie uses MALE MAKE-UP…HUH?!

Feeling: Giddy

* * *

The next day I didn't waste time informing Jade of my accomplishment. I was so proud and happy to have pulled it off. She didn't believe me at first, but when Andre and Robbie backed me up she looked to me with something that could have been gratitude. But it was quickly covered by her usual scowl. I had already seen the theater it would be shown at due to Mrs. Lee's excitement to get things rolling so as soon as Jade heard that a place was picked out she demanded to see it for herself. We parted ways with an agreement to stop by right after school.

**~Jade~**

I walked up to the entrance of the theater and looked up, my eyes instantly landing on the title of my play advertised in bold. I skimmed down over Cat's name to my own. I was a little hesitant to allow Cat to have the main role but she promised to do her best and I couldn't really say no to her enthusiasm. She might be disgustingly cheerful all the time but I knew she could act well when she wanted to. I trusted her enough. Vega ran ahead to enter first and I rolled my eyes. She actually pulled it off. I had to grudgingly admit to myself that I was impressed. She seemed so set on doing this for me despite her initial uncertainty. I did kind of force it on her, but she could have said no. I argued over her real motives with Beck but he was convinced that she was just being a good friend and that I should appreciate her effort. Which was true. No one else was willing to do what she did. Ugh, no. Focus. It was enough that he pulled out of going with me and her to check out the theater at the last minute. He wasn't being sneaky. I knew what he was doing. I couldn't even really be upset with him for it either. Vega pushed open the door to the small theater and flicked on the lights.

"Come on! Come on, come on!" she excitedly shouted, moving aside to hold the door for me. I stepped in and looked around. It was small but just what I needed. Vega glanced at me with a smile.

"Good, right?" she questioned, walking on stage. I refused to answer that. Instead, I moved to stand on stage, facing her.

"And this restaurant lady who you barely know is really going to pay for this place?" I inquired.

"She's paying for everything. The whole play. The full three thousand," Vega answered brightly. The smile threatening to pull at my lips was getting hard to hold back, but by the look on Vega's face I knew it came though just a bit. She really hooked me up. I didn't think she would.

"Huh? Love me? Love me now? Yeah you do. Come on, give Tori a squeeze!" she said happily, holding out her arms. I shifted with a sigh, rolling my eyes at her excitement. She looked like a dog barely holding back from jumping on me. I raised my brows at her and lifted my chin just so, holding off. Should I…? No.

"Here, I'll playfully punch your arm as if we were friends," I suggested, raising a fist. She looked disappointed but nodded and turned to offer up her right arm.

"I'll take it," she agreed. I touched my knuckles to her arm, gaining a smile from her, before walking past her.

"Ok, well, I got a lot of work to do around here. I gotta ask Sinjin if he'll help me with set dressing. Maybe Robbie could do the lighting if I ask him…" I planned, taking the stairs off the stage as I looked around. Vega did the same, having hopped off the front of the stage. Suddenly, the door swung open.

"Hellooo!" a nasally voice greeted. I turned to see a woman come in with a giant smile on her face. That must be the money bank. Vega answered her greeting.

"Look, it's Tori Vega with the beautiful cheekbones!" she said, pointing them out. Vega played it off but I scoffed. Yeah, they were good looking. Whatever.

"Jade, this is Mrs. Lee from Wok Star," Vega introduced, gesturing to her.

"It's really cool to meet you," I greeted, laying on the pep more than I normally would and adding a smile. It felt all wrong but I had to secure this chance.

"Is this our playwright?" Mrs. Lee asked Vega.

"That's her," she affirmed. I stepped forward to offer my hand.

"I'm Jade," I said, shaking her hand. That satisfied smile on Vega's face held strong. I glanced at her before addressing Mrs. Lee again.

"Listen, I can't even tell you how amazing it is that you're paying for everything-" I told her, but she cut across me. Normally that would have wazzed me off, but I ignored it.

"Ah! Don't even mention that! I'm just happy you get to do your play," she replied. Wow.

"Well, thanks. I can't wait for you to read it," I responded.

"I already did," Mrs. Lee said.

"Oh, I gave her a copy last night," Vega piped up. Well, she was definitely on top of this.

"I read it in the bathtub," Mrs. Lee added with a nod. Ok, I didn't really need to know that.

"Did you like it?" I asked, moving on.

"**Loved** it," she praised.

"Really?" I checked, happy to hear that someone besides Vega liked it. Mrs. Lee nodded, moving past me while I stepped forward to switch places with her. I ended up standing by Vega who smiled at me. I gave her a small one.

"Yeah, I only have a few notes," Mrs. Lee announced, setting down her bag on a chair to pull out her copy. That alone made the small smile drop off my face. Even Vega's smile fell.

"What do you mean 'notes'?" I inquired, trying to hold back the bite in my tone. Vega was already trying to calm me with a hand raised as if she wanted to placate me by placing it on my arm. I leaned away from her, arms tucked in as I gripped the strap of my bag.

"You know, ideas to make the play better," Mrs. Lee answered. What did she just say? Vega fell unnaturally quiet next to me.

"Spice it up a little bit," she continued, doing a stupid little dance. My brows creased as I fought back my natural reaction to that.

"Heh…oh gosh," Vega mumbled uncomfortably.

"Uhh, you wanna change my play?" I questioned, tone tight. This time Vega did rest her hand on my arm. I subtly shook her off with a warning glance.

"What changes do you wanna make to my play?" I directed at the one whose only input should be her money.

"Jade," Vega cautioned me. I ignored her.

"Well, what if, when the girl falls down into the well, she sings a song on the way down?" Mrs. Lee suggested, miming the action. My forced smile was getting harder and harder to maintain.

"It's not a musical," I bluntly declined.

"But it could be!" Vega spoke up, no doubt trying to save the situation. I shot her a look.

"But it's not," she instantly retracted with a shake of her head.

"Who sings when they're plunging to the bottom of a well?" I demanded, jabbing a hand down to accentuate my point.

"Batman," Mrs. Lee pointed out in a deadpan. Strained silence fell until Vega practically tiptoed over to her.

"Uh, I don't think Batman sings," she mumbled, trying at damage control. Mrs. Lee brushed her off.

"Look, I'm just trying to help. Don't get your underpants in a twist," she stated, tone no longer eager but sharp. Fine. She wants to play that way?

"I'll twist your underpants if you don't-" I began to warn her when Vega threw her arm between us, pushing me back.

"Ok! I think we can all work this out and keep our underpants untwisted," she said, laughing with obvious discomfort. I reluctantly backed off and plastered on my fake smile again. It probably wouldn't help to lose my temper, but that lady had to understand that I wasn't going to change my work just to please her.

"I don't need anyone's ideas," I told her.

"Well you need my money, so you have to listen to my suggestions," Mrs. Lee retorted. Ugh, unfortunately, but that didn't mean anything.

"No, I don't," I denied. Vega shifted next to me, brushing back her hair.

"Jade," she cautioned again.

"You do too," Mrs. Lee pressed.

"I do not," I stated firmly.

"Jade!" Vega exclaimed, a bit louder.

"Lady…" I warned, staring her down.

"Jade!" Vega shouted.

"I'll smack her," I growled, my eyes focused on the woman in front of me, so Vega took a step forward so that she was almost facing me directly.

"I don't see you smackin' my money!" Mrs. Lee yelled. That's it!

"You...listen! I don't even-" I began to yell back, a finger pointed as I advanced. Vega quickly intercepted me, grabbing my wrist and tugging me back. She was stronger than she looked. I sighed and stomped up on stage to remove myself before I acted on my agitation. Vega followed close behind.

"Are you insane?" she questioned. I turned to her.

"No, she is!" I snapped back.

"She's paying for your whole play," Vega reminded me.

"I don't need her input," I told her.

"Too bad. That's how show business works," she retorted.

"It seems wrong," I huffed out.

"Oh, it is!" Vega agreed with a nod. She then turned to point at the irritating woman in green sitting in a chair looking over her copy, pencil in hand.

"But do you want that lady's money or don't you?" Vega said, bringing my eyes back to her.

"Yeah," I grudgingly gave in.

"Then play nice," Vega responded, grabbing me by the wrist again. I let her pull me along off the stage, hating what I was about to say. Mrs. Lee stood up.

"So, um, she sings a song…as she falls down the well…That could work," I forced out, the words bitter on my tongue.

"No, no. If you don't like that idea then you don't have to do it," Mrs. Lee calmly replied.

"I don't?" I inquired, feeling a tinge of relief.

"No," Mrs. Lee confirmed. I exchanged a look with Vega, her expression confused. The door suddenly opened and in walked a little girl.

"Mom?" she questioned.

"Ah, there you are!" Mrs. Lee exclaimed, running over to her. She gripped her by the arms from behind and pushed her forward. The girl looked more than uncomfortable. Vega smiled, glancing at me, but I met it with a blank expression. It was all I could do to keep back a scowl. But as soon as they were in front of us I forced on the smile.

"Girls, this is my daughter, Daisy. Say hi to them," Mrs. Lee introduced.

"Hi," Daisy whispered.

"More power!" her mother commanded.

"Hi!" Daisy immediately complied. Geez. Poor kid. Vega and I greeted her in return.

"Daisy's going to play a big part in your play," Mrs. Lee revealed. I held back the overwhelming need to tell her exactly what I thought about her idiotic ideas. Vega nodded along, gauging me for any hint of an explosive reaction.

"Wow, what a great idea," I forced out.

"Say thank you," Mrs. Lee told the girl.

"Thank you," Daisy murmured.

"More power!" she commanded again.

"Thank you!" the girl yelled, unsettled. Vega and I could only nod, no words left to give. Vega's smile came easier than mine. She patted my back but I was already too close to knocking someone out to stop her so I let her get away with it. I hated this sooo much.

**~Tori~**

We started rehearsals as soon as possible, working on all aspects of the play whenever we had time. Sinjin and another techy was brought in to run some sound affects from the small table in the back. Watching the rehearsals was almost painful. Not because Cat didn't do a good job, because she did, but because of the, uh, changes Mrs. Lee insisted on. I tried to be Jade's conscience through it all, if only to save people from her wrath. I glanced at her from my seat next to her while we watched Cat on stage. Jade hadn't said a word yet, just tapped her fingers on the copy of the play lying in her lap, watching with a critical stare. Everything went according to plan until Daisy swooped in on wires singing horribly, Mrs. Lee watching on with pride. Jade's expression was more than concerning. She looked disgusted. Even Cat was in shock at how bad it was. A frown pulled at my lips. I hesitantly touched Jade's hand where it was balled into a fist on her lap. She gave me a sidelong glance, her way of saying she wasn't about to go on a rampage. Yet. I was just surprised she didn't throw my hand off. Daisy finished her song and Mrs. Lee gave her a standing ovation.

"Yes! That was so good! She killed it! Whoo!" she cheered. Jade brought a hand to her face. If I didn't know any better I would have thought she was close to tears. I knew that if my own work of art was being botched this bad I would. I knew what it meant to Jade, but outright denying the one financing this wasn't an option.

"Um, sorry. I'm confused. My character can fly now?" Cat questioned, getting to her feet.

"No," Jade stated, anger lacing her words. I looked down at my hands, busying myself with my water bottle. Mrs. Lee looked back at her with a glare.

"So then why is my angel telling me to fly up out of this well?" Cat inquired. I felt Jade tense more than she was already.

"Because the angel's mother is a cra-" Jade began to spit out, but I panicked.

"**A nice lady** who's paying for this play," I yelled over Jade, effectively silencing her. Sorry, but it was for her own good. Mrs. Lee smiled approvingly and I sighed.

"That's riiight. Sing it again, Daisy!" Mrs. Lee said with a flourish. The song started up again, making everyone cringe. Jade glared at me, throwing off my hand. I could only shrug and offer a small, hopefully encouraging, smile. Needless to say, that didn't help. The day ended and we all left. I expected Jade to be in a killer mood the next day and dreaded seeing her at school. Yet that didn't stop me from approaching her at her locker just after she sent Sinjin scurrying away when he asked her about set designs.

"You know, he's only trying to make your play better," I told her.

"So?" she replied. I glanced back at Sinjin turning the corner.

"So now he's got pee running down his leg," I commented. Ew. I turned back to Jade who was still shoving books in her bag, unconcerned.

"I'm not responsible for Sinjin's bladder control or lack of it," she dismissed. See, still upset and taking it out on others. I knew Jade enough by now.

"Why are you being such a baby? Ok, so you're not getting to do your play exactly how you want but at least you're getting to do it," I said, not understanding why she couldn't just let it go.

"Mhm, and how do I explain that-" she began to say, rigid until her words suddenly cut off. She shook her head. She was a little fidgety now. Jade was never fidgety. Unless…

"What?" I questioned. She only turned away.

"Tell me," I coaxed gently. She seemed to think about it a moment before slamming her locker shut. Her eyes rose to look at something over my shoulder. She leaned to the side a little then locked eyes with me.

"Hold out your wrist," she ordered. What? Why? And yet, I still did it, confused as I was. She snagged it, her grip tight, and then proceeded to drag me down the hall. I sighed, knowing where we were headed now. Jade pushed open the door to the janitor's closet. She let me go once we were inside so I moved to stand by the wall, patient. She once claimed that she didn't want someone cool to see her out of sorts but there was a part of me that wondered if she simply trusted me but refused to admit to it. Jade pulled the door shut then turned to me. She sighed heavily and played with the water bottle in her hands.

"I invited my dad to come see my play on opening night," she finally said.

"And?" I inquired, not seeing what the problem was.

"He hates me," she stated without a care.

"Uhhh…but, why would, anyone, hate you?" I struggled to say. She didn't look convinced. She sighed again and set the water bottle on the counter full of tools.

"He doesn't understand creative people. He thinks that wanting to be an actor or writer or director is stupid. So I invited him to my play 'cause I thought it would be really good and hopefully make him finally have some respect for me. But then you let your restaurant lady turn it into a joke. Which is just gonna make my dad think he was absolutely right about my dreams being stupid and pointless! Thank you for ruining my life!" Jade ranted. As she spoke she started off so calm, picking up a relatively harmless looking tool, but then she switched it for pliers and her voice began to rise. Luckily she only slammed those down and picked up the water bottle. For a moment I was seriously scared she as going to use them on me. She had a right to be upset, but I had to calm her down.

"Pfft. Dads. Heh," I awkwardly said, attempting levity. She only looked more serious.

"Thanks, Tori. That really helps put things in perspective," she responded sarcastically. She stepped closer to grab my wrist and lift it so that she could shove the water bottle in my hand. I held it automatically, most of my attention on her. She promptly left, leaving the door open behind her. Darn it. I wasn't much help, was I? I threw the water bottle in the trashcan and it fell apart. Oh, that must have been the one Jade cut up. I glanced around, seeing that no one saw, and then ran for it. I spent the rest of the day trying to figure out how I could right my unintentional wrong but came up with nothing so far. The gang, minus Jade, came over later that night for a friendly game of poker, music playing in the background. I tried to concentrate on the game but I was still buggin' over Jade. So much so that I was eventually asked what was wrong. So I told them what happened.

"And then?" Beck asked after I just got done reiterating her rant.

"She thanked me for ruining her life," I answered.

"At least she thanked you," Andre pointed out. I raised a brow at him.

"Gimme one," Beck asked Andre, receiving a card.

"Two," I added for myself.

"What's Trina doing?" Robbie questioned after looking over at my sister who stood behind me at the island counter. I twisted around to see green smeared all over her face.

"I'm putting avocado on my face to give it a natural glow," Trina replied like it was obvious.

"I use male make-up," Robbie shared once again.

"You know, maybe you shouldn't tell so many people about that," Beck advised.

"Wait, Jade's dad is only coming to the play on the first night, right?" Cat spoke up. We all nodded.

"So why don't we just do it the way Jade wrote it for that one night?" she continued.

"'Cause Mrs. Lee's going to be there and she wants it done her way," I answered.

"But what if she's **not** there?" Cat proposed. That got me thinking.

"I think Cat said something pretty smart," Andre said, awed.

"I'm sorry," Cat apologized.

"No, it's good. Come on, come on. How do we keep Mrs. Lee from going to the play on opening night?" I asked the group, looking for feedback. They all began thinking but it was Cat who spoke first.

"Bingo!" she shouted.

"You got a plan?" Beck inquired.

"No, I don't like this game. I wanna play bingo," she replied, setting down her cards. So much for that.

"Wait, wait, wait. Mrs. Lee is totally obsessed with celebrities," Andre remarked.

"Yeah," I agreed.

"If a celebrity walked into her restaurant right before the play started…" he explained.

"Or, a fake celebri-tay," I finished, catching on. I turned around again to look at Trina, the gang looking to her too. Trina stopped piling more avocado mush on her face when she noticed our stares. She shouldn't be too opposed to the idea. If anyone wanted to be a celebrity, it was Trina.

* * *

My sister looks like an avocado

exploded in her face. (Actually,

that would be SO cool)

Feeling: Devious

* * *

**~Jade~**

After a week full of making the stage look just right and rehearsals practiced almost every day after school the night finally arrived. My play, my work, was going to be performed. I stood off to the side of the stage, watching as everyone filed in. I wanted to say I wasn't nervous, but I was. Vega hadn't said much to me since I blew up on her in the janitor's closet. It wasn't my fault. She wasn't really being helpful. I didn't bother letting her talk me down from anything until I was told of the plan they hatched. It wasn't bad. It was better than letting my play get butchered, so I agreed to it. A hand rested for a second on my shoulder before Vega's cheery voice met my ears.

"Hey!" she greeted.

"What? What?!" I answered, a bit frantic and wracked with nerves. A skitter of quick steps told me she jumped back but I couldn't see to be sure because I was too busy scanning the crowd.

"Will you calm down," Vega lightly admonished.

"Sorry. I'm just freaking a little," I hurriedly explained.

"There is nothing to worry about," she assured me. Cat appeared from behind the curtain and we both looked to her.

"You guys, I was getting into costume and I dropped my bra in the toilet," she said, raising the bright pink article of clothing. It hung from her fingers by a strap, dripping wet.

"Nothing to worry about," I told Vega my impersonation of her I knew she began to dislike.

"I don't talk like that," she denied.

"So what do I do about my bra- oh," Cat muttered, caught off guard when Vega took it from her, wrung it out, and then returned it to her.

"Now go get ready," she said. I shook my head and looked back at the crowd.

"Thank you?" Cat mumbled, uncertain, then left. I heard the sound of Vega drying her hands on her pants but I didn't give her my attention. Not even when she stood unnecessarily close to me.

"You know, she's so sweet, but sometimes I wonder…" she began, stopping when I began smacking at her stomach.

"There he is, there he is, there he is, there he is, there he is," I rushed out all in one breath, my nerves getting the best of me again. I felt Vega catch my hand to stop me and then gave it a squeeze before letting go.

"Who?" she asked.

"My father," I answered, snapping at her forgetfulness.

"Wow. He looks kinda like-" she started to say.

"Like he hates my guts," I finished for her.

"I was gonna say cold and judgmental," Vega said.

"That works too," I allowed.

"Look. You don't have to freak out. Your play is going to happen exactly how you want it to and the guys are gonna make sure Mrs. Lee never gets here," she reassured me. Right.

"'Kay. And what about daughter Daisy?" I questioned.

"No worries. She's up there in her flying harness waiting for her cue that's never going to come," Vega answered, looking up. I followed her line of sight to see Daisy suspended and out of view.

"I'm ready," she said. We just waved back at her.

"Well, you better hope this work out," I warned Vega.

"Why?" she inquired, a hint of anxiety in her voice. I looked to her with a dangerous smirk that made her gulp.

"You don't wanna know," I stated evenly. She attempted a laugh but it got caught in her throat. She stepped back from me, averting her eyes. I only smiled, glad that there was finally some space between us. Vega was getting a bit too comfortable. The play began shortly and we watched from the side of the stage in silence. So far, it was going just as planned. The girl had fallen and was currently at the bottom of the well with no tunes accompanying her descent.

"Do you think your dad likes it?" Vega whispered, leaning close to me. I shook my head, looking to him.

"It's hard to tell. I've never seen him like anything before," I replied honestly. The silence that followed told me Vega didn't approve. Cat finished the last line that would lead up to her unwelcomed angel assisting her. Said angel smiled and waved. Vega and I looked up but didn't react past giving her a thumbs up. Sorry kid, but not tonight. The play carried on just as it was intended to. I watched in satisfaction as it got closer and closer to the end.

"Mrs. Lee just left the restaurant," Vega informed me, worried. I smirked.

"She's too late," I responded, eyes remaining on what was happening on stage. Take that Mrs. Lee. I leaned around the curtain just enough to check again, seeing no change in my father's expression. Cat spoke the last line and then it was over. The audience clapped and so did Vega. It was like I could breathe normally again. Now there was just one thing left to do. I walked out from backstage to confront my father, stopping when some guy approached me with his hand out.

"Great work," he appraised.

"Whatever," I snapped, sending him away so that I could face my father. Vega stood awkwardly at my side. I had to give her credit for dealing with me and still being here. Even now. She was a little out of her element.

"Dad," I greeted formally.

"Jade," he replied, just as curt. It was quiet, neither of us knowing what else to say. We never really talked much.

"Just say whether you liked it or not!" Tori spat out, unable to keep her cool. He looked at her then back to me.

"Friend of yours?" he questioned.

"Eh," I said with a shrug. Vega frowned at me. Hey, at least I didn't say she wasn't this time.

"So, my play?" I questioned, waiting.

"I thought it was excellent," he answered. A weight seemed to lift off me. I just could just sense Vega smiling brightly.

"Thanks. Anything else?" I asked, a bit hopeful.

"Would you please take that jewelry out of your face," he requested. Ugh.

"No," I declined.

"Bye," he quickly responded.

"Bye," I returned. He strode out, leaving me thoughtful. Vega took his place in front of me.

"Well. Get what you wanted?" she inquired, a soft smile on her face. I avoided looking at her longer than a second, instead inspecting my nails.

"Mhm. I've never seen him look that happy before," I told her, looking up at her. Her smile widened. Oh no.

"Come on. Give Tori a squeeze," she tried again, raising her arms. Why is she such a dork? A cute dork. Ah, why not? I smiled a little and stepped forward to accept the hug, holding her close. She tightened her hold on me. It felt new, odd but good. Not bad at all. The door opening made us pull apart. It was Mrs. Lee.

"Aw, I missed it? Dang! I missed it!" she whined, kicking a nearby chair in frustration.

"It's ok," Vega told her.

"You can see it tomorrow night," I reminded her.

"And watch your daughter fly and sing again," Vega added.

"Just like she did tonight," I blatantly lied.

"Aw, was my little girl wonderful?" Mrs. Lee asked.

"Ugh, **yeah**," I agreed with a nod.

"She stole the show," Vega joined in.

"Aww!" Mrs. Lee cooed happily. There, problem solved.

"I'm ready!" Daisy's small voice announced. The smile fell from Mrs. Lee's face. Vega and I hesitantly looked up then back down, playing it off like we didn't hear anything. Mrs. Lee glanced around then looked to us. We quickly put on innocent smiles. Yeah, that didn't convince her.

**~Tori~**

Well, after all that, Jade's play was a success. For a second I thought I would have a very wazzed off Jade. But everything turned out all right. Even though we tried to defend ourselves, Mrs. Lee found out about her daughter being left up through the whole thing. She was pretty mad, but Jade didn't care. Despite the anger and distaste between her and Mrs. Lee we showed up the next night. I made sure to be there to support Jade. Her dad wasn't there but I had to make sure she didn't get in a fight with our generous benefactor. That and I was kinda hoping for another hug. I didn't think hugs from Jade could be so addicting. By the end of the night I hung around late to help clean up then waited around a bit too expectantly only for Jade to sneer at me.

"What do you want, Vega? Another hug?" she scoffed. I felt my face flush a little, surprised and embarrassed that she guessed correctly.

"Fine," she groaned reluctantly, walking over to me.

"Really?" I said, disbelief in my tone but eager all the same.

"Yeah, sure," she calmly affirmed, raising her arms. I was just about to hug her when she spoke again.

"Of course if you accept this, my earlier offer to drive you home becomes invalid," she informed me with a sly smirk.

"What?" I gasped. I froze, intending to step back, but she yanked me into her. We stumbled but she held me up with a snicker while I tried to get loose.

"What's the matter? I thought you wanted a hug?" she taunted, her grip on me unyielding.

"No! I take it back! Don't leave me here," I whined, giving up and leaning into her when I failed to escape. She chuckled in my ear, and just when I was about to question my positive reaction to the sound, she dropped me. I fell with a cry and hit the floor hard.

"Too late. See ya, Vega," she stated, heading for the door.

"Jade! That's not fair!" I complained, getting to my feet and running after her.

"I'm not fair," she responded, yet she waited for me at the door. I glowered at her but she just shrugged, letting the door go once I was out. I sulked as we walked, causing her to roll her eyes.

"Ok then, you owe me a coffee in exchange," she bargained when we reached her car. I sighed but nodded my acceptance. That was better than being stranded any day. After going to a coffee place and then heading home, I didn't stop to think that there was a possibility that Jade might have wanted that hug just as much as I did until I was already falling asleep. Why did she have to be so difficult about it? All she had to do was ask. That was what friends were for. Although, she claimed not to be my friend or like hugs. Oh well. That was just Jade being Jade and I didn't mind for the most part. Maybe one day it would be different. I could wait until then.


	17. The Wood

**It's been a year today since starting this and three years today since the cancellation of the show. Just two more episodes to go and season one will be complete, then the Jori bar will be raised for season two. I can't wait.**

* * *

**~Tori~**

I have to say, things were starting to look up. Or maybe that was just because Jade and I are actually getting along. I mean, sometimes she would still snap at me during chats on The Slap, but the fact that she even commented on what I had to say at all speaks for itself. Even those odd videos we did for Robbie's Slap page went well. I walked down the hall with a bounce in my step and came upon Trina by the Wahoo Punch machine. She didn't even bother returning my greeting and instead demanded money for the machine. Normally I would have been exasperated with her, but my good mood allowed me to smile through it and hand over the money. At least she bought me one too. I took the offered can from her and opened it, taking a sip. Trina opened her mouth to no doubt complain over something only she found horrible when she stopped to look at something over my shoulder. I turned around to see a hovering yellow toy of some sort. Just a glance down the hall explained everything. Robbie stood there with a remote in his hands, utter concentration on his face. Beck stood next to him, silently watching.

"Laser assault!" Robbie exclaimed. The toy started firing colorful beams of light at me and my sister. Really Robbie? Really? I let him have his fun a few seconds before using the textbook I carried as my own weapon. I smacked it out of the air with a roll of my eyes. Trina shook her head next to me. Robbie's mouth fell open and Beck just patted his shoulder. Robbie's sad expression soon turned to agitation as he strode over.

"Hey, thanks a lot for whacking my astrocraft!" he shouted.

"It was attacking us," I replied, feigning innocence.

"And stupid," Trina added on. Robbie looked seconds from retorting when Trina gasped, her eyes on a group of newcomers down the hall. Who were they?

"Oh my god, they're filming something!" she yelled, rushing off. She tried her best to stay in front of the camera no matter how many times the cameraman kept trying to turn away. I sighed, walking over to see what was happening. Beck and Robbie tagged along.

"That girl keeps blocking my shot," the cameraman grumbled, lowering the camera. I took that moment to walk over.

"Hey, what's up?" I wondered.

"Well, these guys are shooting a TV show," Lane answered, catching all of our attention.

"A TV show?" Robbie repeated. Trina beamed.

"I wanna be on a TV show," she declared, rushing forward to grab at Lane's arm. He flinched away.

"What show are you guys from?" I asked.

"It's a new one called The Wood," Lane replied.

"I wanna be on The Wood. What's The Wood? I wanna be on it," Trina begged.

"These are the producers, Kyle and Nick," Lane introduced, pointing to them. We each tried to return the greeting and introduce ourselves but they walked away, ignoring us. That went well.

"So, what's The Wood about?" Beck questioned, stopping them.

"It's a reality show," Kyle told him.

"About teenagers in Hollywood," Nick continued.

"I'm a teenager and I'm in Hollywood right now. See!" Trina spoke up, raising her hands to gesture at herself. Oh boy. They only stared at her and Lane gestured for her to stop, pushing her arms down.

"They're here getting shots of our school," he said.

"And to look for interesting kids to feature on the show," Kyle added.

"So, is there going to be a casting session?" I inquired, stepping forward.

"Uh huh," he answered with a nod.

"After school in the Black Box," Lane clarified. Trina suddenly looked determined.

"I'll be there," she stated, striding away soon after. Before it could get awkward, Kyle asked to get shots outside. Lane happily moved them along.

"So, you guys gonna try out?" I asked Beck and Robbie.

"Yeah," Robbie easily replied. Beck wasn't so convinced. I knew why he was skeptical, but it could be fun. I even tried telling him so. I didn't think I changed his mind based on the look he was giving me. He began to explain his reasoning but Robbie cut him off. We looked over to see him toying with the remote to his flying thingy.

"Hey, I think my astrocraft still works," he said.

"I thought I killed that thing," I stated.

"You may have inflicted some minor damage, but…watch as I press return to base and have it come right-" he began, hitting the mentioned button. Beck and I watched as the toy lifted from the ground then flew across the hall to collide with Robbie's face. He fell flat on his back.

"Nerd down!" I announced. Beck chuckled next to me. It was then when Jade came striding down the hall, slowing to a stop when she met Beck's eyes. His smile fell and so did mine. Her eyes narrowed, but then she saw Robbie sprawled out on the floor, still groaning in pain.

"If I didn't know any better I would have thought you floored the poor nerd, Vega, but I guess mocking him is just as good," she pointed out, walking over to nudge at Robbie with her foot.

"I wasn't mocking him," I mumbled.

"Sure you weren't. Let's go, Beck," she replied, turning from me to him. He followed her down the hall without a word. Hours later I belatedly remembered that I left Robbie on the floor. When I stopped for coffee I resolved to apologize to him. I was headed to the Black Box now to try out for casting. On my way there I ran into Jade, or more like she jumped me. I screamed and she laughed at my reaction. I had jumped so bad I dropped all my stuff, but thankfully not the coffee. She offered to hold it for me while I picked everything up. I stared at her, seeing nothing but a poker face, so I passed her my drink. As soon as my hand was free I knelt down to gather my stuff. When I had everything I stood up, brushing my hair out of my face just in time to see Jade messing with the top of the coffee cup. I raised a brow but she just mentioned securing the top so that it didn't spill on me, gave it back, and then walked away. I stood there staring at the cup suspiciously. Could I really risk drinking it now? Ugh, I'll just have to hope she didn't do anything too bad to it.

* * *

About to audition for THE WOOD.

I think Jade spit in my coffee. :(

Feeling: Perky

* * *

I entered the Black Box right behind Jade, glaring at her as I sipped my coffee. I was certain she must have spit in it now only because I couldn't detect anything wrong with it. I couldn't believe that she didn't do anything to it so that must have been it. So why am I still drinking it? I stopped by a trash can and paused with the cup over it. But did I really want to waste it when I wasn't even sure? I took a moment to think it over then chugged it before I could change my mind.

**~Jade~**

I watched Vega internally debate whether she wanted the coffee or not and smirked. It was too easy messing with her. I didn't even do anything to it. I knew I would get the same reaction from her whether I did or didn't, but this was more fun. All I had to do was make it look like I did something and then watch as she agonized over it. I was only mildly surprised when she drank it all instead of throwing it out. That took guts, especially if I had done something to it. I allowed a small smirk but erased it when she walked over, head held high. Minutes passed and people I didn't care for took their turn. The producers didn't look like they cared much either. But then it was Vega's turn. She skipped up and took a seat, a big smile on her face.

"Hey. Tori Vega. Girl," she said as an introduction, pointing to herself. Oh god, why? Why did I like this happy peppy dork?

"We can tell," Nick told her. She only shrugged.

"Ok, Tori. This is a really informal audition," Kyle began.

"We're just trying to get a feel for your personality," Nick added.

"Got it. Feel away," Tori replied brightly. Could she get any peppier?

"What's the worst thing you've ever done?" Kyle asked her. I smirked, ready to hear what she had to say. This should be good. I bet whatever it was probably wasn't even that bad. In fact, I bet the worst thing she ever did was spray hot cheese all over Cat and that Danny dude.

"Uh…oh. Oh wow. Um…oh! I know! I squirted hot cheese all over my friend and her current boyfriend who was my ex-boyfriend. And then I kissed him right in front of her, which I felt really bad about. But then it was ok because she punched me in the face," she shared. Ok, so I had to give her credit for coming clean, but I was still right. I glanced at the producers to see them interested. It looked like Vega made it. Andre ended up going after two others who weren't at all interesting. They asked him what he liked and he easily answered with music. They asked him what he didn't like and he quickly answered Brussel sprouts. Who liked those anyway?

They seemed to throw him for a loop when they asked him how he would feel about a song about Brussel sprouts. It seemed to be too much for him because after stuttering he asked to be excused to the bathroom. I shook my head. Someone else went up then Trina pushed her way past the next person who was supposed to go up. I rolled my eyes and tuned her out. As soon as she began by telling them to picture her, I had enough. She was probably going to bore everyone by talking about herself anyway. Beck walked up after her. He was halfway through an explanation about acting, getting all touching about it, when the producers' assistant cut in to ask if he was dating anyone. I should have seen that coming a mile away.

"Katie," Kyle reprimanded her.

"I just think we should know if he has a girlfriend. Do you?" she replied, looking to Beck with desperation. I looked to Beck too.

"Yeah, I do," he told her, brows creased in confusion. Honestly, how did he not see that coming?

"Dang it!" Katie screamed, completely upset. Her fists slammed down on the laptop on her lap. Everyone jumped at her outburst. What was her problem? Beck returned to my side with a shrug and an innocent smile I rolled my eyes at. Robbie went after two others but he was quickly dismissed. Someone else went and then I decided to go. I took my time walking over and taking a seat. I gave them my name and waited, ready for anything.

"Ok, Jade. What do you hate?" Nick questioned. Well, that was a lengthy list.

"Tuna fish, flowers, giggling, the word panties, cilantro, rainbows, ducks; man I hate ducks. Cramps, string cheese, locks, wet door knobs, bras that hook in the front, the color yellow, carpeting…" I answered, going through my mental list. Kyle nodded to the assistant and I smirked, cutting off the rest. I was in, but I already knew I would before I even sat down.

**~Tori~**

After my turn I stood to the side and watched the gang go up. Hearing everything Jade didn't like was an interesting bit of information, but it wasn't like I hadn't seen her videos, which was why I knew she cut her long list short. There was so many other things she hated. The real question should have been why she hated the things she hated. That was something I wanted to know. After all, there had to be a reason, right? The next day at lunch Trina followed me to our table. Jade groaned her exasperation but said nothing else. I wasn't too thrilled to have her around either so I had to agree. I shot her an incredulous look when she sat next to Beck. She tried flirting with him and even asked him to smell her arm.

"No perfume. That's my natural scent," she boasted.

My eyes flicked between Jade, Beck, and Trina, a bit entertained by Jade's frown and Beck's polite acceptance. I wondered if he was really that oblivious or if he just didn't care. I also wondered how my sister survived this long. Mysteries of the world, I guess. Beck looked to me for an explanation on her behavior.

"I have to live with her," I responded as an answer. He only nodded sympathetically.

"Hey you guys. Kyle has some cool news for you," Lane greeted us. He stopped at our table with Kyle right next to him.

"Tori Vega, Beck Oliver, Jade West, and Andre Harris. Congratulations. You all are going to be featured on The Wood," he told us.

"Really?" I exclaimed, excited. Andre grinned.

"Interesting," Beck mumbled. Jade remained silent, going back to her food.

"What about me?" Trina asked.

"No," Kyle quickly replied.

"Why not?" she inquired.

"'Cause you reek of desperation," he answered. We all gave subtle nods to that.

"That's her natural scent," Beck spoke up. Trina glared at him but he remained unaffected. I smiled at his joke. A satisfied smile pulled at Jade's lips. Trina stood up and stomped away. I followed her with my eyes over to Festus' Grub Truck and gasped when she quickly got in a fight with Robbie. Festus tried to break them up and ended up falling out when Trina yanked on the broom he was trying to separate them with. That looked like it hurt. Poor Festus. The bell rang after that so we all parted ways. I really hoped Trina at least apologized for her tantrum, but that was probably wishful thinking. By the end of the day I was told that the producers wanted to come over and film for The Wood later that day. They gave me a time and I spent every minute up to that time trying to stay calm. When they showed up it didn't take much for them to set up.

"Ok, so, how do you want me to do this?" I asked them, a bit uncertain.

"Just tell us where you are and what you're doing," Kyle answered.

"And really have fun with it," Nick said. I looked over to see them both sharing a snack, like they were already watching TV. I took a moment to regroup then turned to the camera.

"What up, what up? Checky-checky-check it out. You got T. Vega, that's Tori Vega-docious! Initials T.V. on your TV!" I exclaimed.

"Not that much fun," Kyle discouraged.

"I was being urban," I explained, put out.

"Yeah? Not really," Nick said with a shake of his head. I frowned with my hands on my hips. Suddenly, I hiccupped and then groaned.

"Aw man. Why do I always get the hiccups when I talk urban?" I wondered to myself.

"Let's just try it again," Nick suggested. Kyle nodded.

"Right, um, hey, I'm Tori Vega-" I began again, a hiccup cutting me off. I tucked my hair behind my ear and continued on. As I moved everyone followed behind the camera.

"I live here in the Hollywood Hills with my mom, dad, and big sister Trina-" I said, hiccupping again. I paused but Nick told me to keep going.

"Alright. Let's see…" I mumbled, trying to think of something else to say. My phone began ringing, distracting me.

"And there's my phone. Should I…?" I asked, gesturing to it.

"Answer it," Kyle encouraged. I walked over to the kitchen and picked it up.

"Oh, it's my aunt Sonya," I said, answering the call. I talked with her about my parents being out, when I would get to see her, and about her new puppy before hanging up.

"Ok, so now what?" I asked with a clap of my hands. Someone screamed and jumped at me from my right without warning and I screamed, backing away. It was only Nick.

"Dude, why scare me like that?" I demanded.

"It gets rid of the hiccups," he answered. As soon as the words were spoken I hiccupped again.

"Sometimes," he amended. I got the fudge scared out of me for nothing. It was an hour or two later when they left. I walked them out, returning inside to see Trina coming down the stairs.

"Am I allowed to enter my own living room yet?" she complained. She hadn't been able to even come down stairs. When they arrived they insisted that she stay well away. She pouted and tried to argue but eventually stomped up to her room.

"Yeah. They left," I answered. She came down the rest of the stairs and walked over to plop on the couch.

"It should have been me. How did you and your boring friends get chosen over me? Even that gank was chosen over me," she whined. I ignored her for the most part, used to her complaints, but when she mentioned Jade I frowned.

"Maybe because we weren't so obviously desperate," I reminded her. She let out a dramatic gasp before standing up.

"Remember that when I end up on TV and you don't! And don't ask me to put in a word for you either!" she grouched, heading back to her room.

"Yeah? I bet I wouldn't even need it! I'll probably be asked to be on the show!" I shot back. She ignored me, nose in the air as she disappeared upstairs. I crossed my arms, working on calming down. Jade was far more talented than her anyway. Anyone would want her on their show or in their movie. Maybe even in a play. She'd find fame easily with her ability to act and sing. She was good looking too. A loud slam upstairs told me Trina was throwing another fit. I only sat down and turned on the TV.

"Heh, T.V. That was clever," I muttered to myself, flipping through the channels. I didn't get to bed until much later but I still woke up on time. Getting to school was the same as always but being there was so different. With The Wood still being talked about the whole school was active. I walked outside when lunch came around to see a mob at the Grub Truck. What was going on over there? Was that Robbie and Trina? They must have gotten in trouble for hurting Festus and now this was their punishment. I contemplated not getting anything to eat today when Jade walked up to stand next to me.

"Your sister is a nuisance," she stated matter-of-factly. I nodded.

"Yeah," I sighed. A thought suddenly came to me and I spoke before thinking about it.

"Does that make me less of a nuisance?" I questioned. She looked to me, brow raised.

"Maybe," she allowed, after a few seconds spent in silence. I could live with that. A commotion next to the Grub Truck grabbed both our attention. Trina and Robbie were locked in a fight that began to travel across the Asphalt Café.

"Is that a large fork?" I questioned, squinting my eyes to better see the shiny metal object Trina was attempting to attack Robbie with.

"I think so…" Jade answered, doing the same. I closed my eyes, a hand on my face. A hand rested on my shoulder and it took me some time to realize that it was Jade.

"I feel sorry for you," she said, her hand dropping a moment later.

"You do?" I inquired, unable to believe it.

"Who wouldn't with a sister like _that_?" she responded with disgust, shuddering before striding away. I watched her head toward Beck, averting my gaze when she climbed up on the table he sat on to sit so close her side was pressed to his. That odd feeling struck me again but I shook it off in favor of finding something to eat.

**~Jade~**

When we got word at the end of the day that we could see a bit of what was being included in The Wood we all agreed to gather at Vega's house to see it. Of course. I wondered if it was even worth it to go but Beck convinced me with more of his sensible reasoning that I was really starting to get tired of. He and I showed up first but I told him to go ahead without me. I gave him some chiz about not being ready to be around Vega yet and he believed me. He gave me a reassuring smile then left to go inside. I waited five minutes before following, cracking the door open and peeking in to see him talking with Vega in the kitchen.

I thought about barging in when my eyes wandered to the stairs. Vega's room was up there. Interesting. I had never seen it before. I might as well have some fun if I was here. I looked to Vega again, making sure she was completely distracted, and then slipped in. I made my way to the stairs and took them two at a time. Once I was standing in the hall I looked for her room. Stepping into her space was almost surreal. I thought it would be on the girly side but it wasn't. A bit too much pastel with thin curtains that let in way too much sun, but that was expected. I walked in further, running a hand over the purple comforter of her bed. I snickered at a bra that didn't make it all the way into the top drawer.

"My, my, Vega. Lace? I never would have thought," I murmured, pulling open the drawer to tuck it inside but stopping when I spied a matching pair of underwear.

"You learn something new every day," I said, pushing the drawer closed. My eyes wandered to the many pictures of our friends scattered all over the room, settling on her desk where her computer sat. I wandered over and hit a key. It woke up, displaying another picture. I recognized it as one of the first pictures we ever took as a group. I remembered the fuss I made because I had to be in it, therefore implying that I was Vega's friend. I tapped the mouse pad and it asked for a password.

"Not so open, are you Vega?" I muttered, placing my fingers on the keyboard. I tried a few times to enter a password but each was denied. Harder than I thought. At least she wasn't clichéd with her password choice. I stepped away and looked around, taking it in one last time. I caught sight of something interesting, the corner of a small book situated under her pillow. I smirked.

"No way," I stated. What luck. I pulled it out to see that it was exactly what I thought it was.

"Vega's diary," I whispered, ready to crack it open and learn a few secrets, but before I could I heard footsteps. I cursed my luck and replaced the diary just the way I found it then rushed to the door. I was glad I closed it when I came in. I pressed my ear to the wood and listened as the heavy steps ended after a door slammed. It must have been Trina. I opened the door enough to peek out and heard my name. I quickly stepped out and shut the door, walking quickly to the stairs. I had to look and act as nonchalant as possible. It was sure to get a rise out of Vega. I smirked, looking forward to teasing her again.

**~Tori~**

* * *

Getting' ready to sneak a

peek at THE WOOD!

Lemonade for Beck.

Feeling: Antsy

* * *

It took a half hour for everyone to arrive. I offered to get drinks but only Beck wanted something. I was now making my way back to the living room to give Beck his lemonade. Andre was busy putting the dvd in so that it would be ready to watch as soon as everyone was seated.

"Your lemonade, sir," I announced, presenting it to Beck.

"Thanks. Hey, why is it pink?" he asked.

"It's pink lemonade," I answered with a wave of my hand.

"I've never seen any pink lemons," he replied.

"There are no pink lemons," I confirmed.

"So what makes it pink?" he wondered.

"Well…you know, it's…it's-shut up," I whined, giving up. What did it matter if it was pink anyway? The back door opened and closed.

"Hi," Trina greeted unenthusiastically. Where did she come from? Had she been sulking outside?

"Hey, guess what we got," I said, excited. Trina stopped to look back at me.

"I don't care," she replied, sullen.

"Come on. We got an advanced copy of The Wood. First episode. Wanna watch it with us?" Andre spoke up, standing to face her.

"No. They rejected me," Trina stated firmly, moving to go upstairs.

"I know, but I'm in it," I said, pointing to myself.

"Yeah, I gotta go change a lightbulb," Trina replied, turning away. I let her go.

"Alright, let's view this," Andre said, sitting down and raising the remote.

"Crank it," Beck agreed. Hold on.

"Wait, don't you wanna wait for Jade?" I inquired. Beck looked to me.

"Jade's here," he told me. What?

"I'm here," Jade repeated, coming down the stairs.

"Wait, when did you get here?" I questioned her, confused.

"Half hour ago," she answered easily.

"Well where have you been?" I asked next as she walked over to stand right in front of me.

"In your room. You've a lot of _things_ in there," she responded, expression blank and voice even. She was…what? Why? And did she just…? That didn't mean anything, right? To be honest, I kind of felt violated.

"But why…I don't…" I tried to say, stumbling over my words while she simply took a seat next to Beck, like what she did was completely normal.

"Let's see it," she demanded, sitting back to get comfortable. I decided to drop it and walked over to sit down. I really should have taken into account what would happen if I chose to sit next to Jade, but sadly I didn't think. As soon as my butt touched the couch she shoved me. I hit the floor hard, exhaling heavily. Jade looked pleased with herself but I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of knowing she was agitating me so I pulled myself up and sat next to Andre instead. He hit play and it began. Scenes shot from both inside and outside our school came on screen along with people we knew and didn't know.

"_Welcome to The Wood. Hollywood. At this performing arts high school, Hollywood Arts, you can find good drama on stage. But the best drama happens off stage. Beck and Jade have been dating for two years."_

"Ugh, yeah, shoot me from that angle," Jade complained after it showed her and Beck.

"You look great," Beck commented.

"I know," Jade replied, suddenly unconcerned. Beck rolled his eyes but let it go, taking a drink of his lemonade. What did she gain by being difficult? I wonder what went through her mind most of the time.

"_But is Beck getting tired of the same old thing?"_

A shot of Beck walking down the main hall stairs showed, Jade following after him. Jade turned to look at Beck expectantly. He only shrugged. What followed made my stomach plummet. I recognized it as the conversation I had with my aunt, but it was edited in a way I was sure was going to get me killed in the next minute by the way Jade was looking at me. They made it sound like Beck was cheating on Jade with me. Andre winced and I sat forward, my mouth hanging open in disbelief. No, no, no, no! That didn't happen! I closed my eyes and prayed that I wouldn't die. I could feel Jade's sharp gaze on me.

"Man, this show is good," Andre forced out. Yeah, too good. I looked to Jade, trying to speak and defend myself, but nothing came out. Wordlessly, she stood up.

"Jade-" Beck began, but she silenced him with a wave of her hand. I gulped and cowered in my seat, waiting for the end. I thought I was a goner, but then she suddenly lunged at Beck. He was taken off guard, so by the time he tried to escape, her tight grip was already latched onto his shirt. He wrestled her off and forced her back but she spun him around to tackle him onto the couch they had been sitting on. It toppled over since most of their combined weight hit the back rest. He tried crawling away but she grabbed him by the ankle and dragged him back. Andre and I stood back at first, stunned, but as soon as Jade dragged Beck to his feet and raised a fist, we intervened. Whew. Right on time. I grabbed at Jade and Andre grabbed Beck, but Jade wouldn't let go. I stumbled, pushing back the couch Andre and I had been sitting on, but I held on a little longer until Jade got the upper hand. Andre and I retreated before trying again. This time, with a forceful tug, Andre got Jade off Beck. He pushed her at me to put distance between her and Beck. I caught and steadied her while Andre helped Beck to stand.

"What the chiz was that for?" I demanded, releasing her and pushing back my hair.

"How could you?" Jade growled low, her words almost inaudible, but both Beck and I caught them.

"Ok, look. That phone conversation never happened!" Beck told Jade.

"I saw it!" she retorted, pointing at the TV.

"I need some more pink lemonade," Andre announced, removing himself to go to the kitchen. Beck rubbed at his face.

"The phone call between Beck and me wasn't real," I added with as much conviction as I could.

"You offered to tickle his tummy!" she yelled.

"I was talking to a puppy," I countered.

"I was ordering a pizza," Beck said.

"How does she know you like having your tummy tickled?" she accused, jabbing a finger at him.

"Everyone likes having their tummy tickled!" I defended with my arms out.

"It's true," Andre agreed. We turned to look at him.

"Sometimes I do it to myself," he admitted, rubbing at his stomach. Silence fell and Jade seemed to calm down, looking from me to Beck.

"The producers took two separate phone conversations and cut them together," Beck said, his eyes never leaving Jade's as she glared back.

"I wanna hear that from them," she commanded. I sighed but nodded.

"Fine. We'll ask them tomorrow," I agreed.

"Fine," Jade concluded.

"Fine," I grumbled, crossing my arms. Jade shot Beck a look then strode to the door. The misplaced couch blocked her way, but with a shove, she moved it. The door slamming made us all flinch.

"Maybe you should go after her?" I suggested to Beck. He nodded and ran a hand through his hair.

"Yeah. Look, I'm sorry," he said, gesturing to the mess. By the tone of his voice and the way he was looking at me he seemed sorry for something else too, but I didn't understand what it could be.

"It's fine. Now, go calm her down before someone gets hurt," I told him, trying at humor. He smiled and patted my shoulder before leaving. I looked to Andre who was busy downing the rest of the lemonade.

"Um…want me to make more before I leave?" he offered apologetically.

"Yes, please," I answered. He nodded and set down his cup. He helped me get the couches back into place then made more lemonade before leaving. I made sure everything was in its place then went to my room. Why did Jade blow a fuse like that? I never saw her that angry before. I told myself not to worry until the next day when we would be hearing the truth from the producers themselves.

**~Jade~**

I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions so fast. I was such an idiot. She could have found out. What was I doing? I wasn't thinking at all. I was just so angry at the thought that Beck was going back on his word that I just exploded.

"Calm down," Beck directed at me gently.

"I can't," I snapped back, continuing to pace the small space that was his RV.

"I know what you're thinking. She didn't notice," he assured me.

"How would you know?" I retorted, stopping to stare at him where he was lounging on his bed.

"You could have easily been mad at me for what you thought was cheating. She couldn't possibly interpret that any other way. Especially the way you're worrying over," he reasoned. The way I was thinking. That being the truth. I had gotten so mad at Beck, but not for cheating. No, I was mad because I thought he went back on his word and pursued Vega. He knew how I felt about her. He was supposed to be on my side, helping me. But for a moment I thought he backstabbed me. I was stupid to think that. Beck wouldn't do that to me.

"I'm sorry. I got carried away," I mumbled, sitting down next to him. He sat up and pulled me into his arms.

"It's fine. No harm done," he replied, squeezing me.

"Although, you're a lot stronger than I thought you were," he teased. I smacked his shoulder and he laughed.

"Yeah, I wasn't messing around. I was literally ready to strangle you," I told him.

"I could tell," he acknowledged with a nod. He rested his chin on my shoulder then laughed.

"What?" I questioned.

"How was it?" he answered with his own inquiry.

"How was what?" I responded.

"Being in her arms for those few seconds," he replied. Just by his voice I knew he was messing with me, and yet, I unintentionally thought back to Vega trying her hardest to pull me away and when Andre pulled me off Beck only to throw me at her. She caught and held me for a few seconds. I was so angry at the time I didn't realize that her hands had been on me and her arms were voluntarily around me. And I missed it all.

"I didn't think about that," I said, shrugging it off.

"And now?" he pressed.

"Shut up," I demanded, pushing him away. He fell back on his bed laughing while I sulked with my arms crossed. He was such a pain, but I couldn't have gotten this far without him.

**~Tori~**

We were all in agreement to hunt down the producers the minute we got the chance. We were directed to the Black Box Theater early before class would start where we found the producers hanging out. I figured that this was where they went when they weren't out ruining the lives of teenagers. When we met up outside the doors to the Black Box Jade didn't even look at me and I didn't question her. As a group we barged in, but it was Jade who demanded to know the truth.

"Yeah we took two separate phone calls and cut 'em together," Kyle admitted all too easily. His assistant handed him a paper and he turned his attention to it. Business as usual I see. I couldn't believe it. Jade stood next to me with her brows arrowed down and her arms crossed. I had a hand on my hip and a frown on my face. Beck and Andre stood behind us.

"Pretty cool, right?" Nick said, smiling. No, it was not. They almost cost Beck his life. Ok, maybe Jade wouldn't have really killed him, but still.

"Cool?" Beck repeated, not at all in agreement. They began to walk away when I sighed and grabbed Jade by the arm to tug her forward. I was only a bit shocked that she let me, but I had a point to prove and I couldn't waste time thinking about it.

"She almost killed Beck," I stated, pointing at her before letting her go.

"I wouldn't have actually killed him," she disagreed.

"Oh, aren't you sweet," I responded, sarcastic. And there she goes, not snapping back. What was the world coming to?

"Isn't The Wood supposed to be a reality show?" Andre cut in. The producers each gave a positive reply.

"But the phone call you guys cut together, that wasn't real," Beck pointed out. Nick laughed.

"So?" he said, unconcerned. Beck looked to us, confused.

"Almost nothing is _real_ in reality shows. It's entertainment," Kyle explained.

"Drama," Nick said.

"Our job, as producers, is to take the footage we get and make it into something people wanna watch," Kyle continued.

"Well, yeah, we get that. But-" I began.

"Look, you guys go to this school because you wanna entertain people, right?" he cut across. We each agreed in our own way.

"Ok, well this is no different than being in a play," Kyle explained.

"Or a movie," Nick added.

"It's acting," Kyle jumped back in.

"Just without a script," Nick finished.

"So, like improv," Beck further clarified.

"Exactly," Kyle confirmed.

"Well, you could have told us that," Jade spoke up.

"Before the attempted murder," I reminded her.

"Don't be so dramatic," she scoffed.

"No. Be **more** dramatic," Kyle corrected.

"And the next time you guys get in a fight, could you call us first so we can get it on video?" Nick requested. This was almost shy of ridiculous. And yet, it made sense.

"Or, they could reenact it," Kyle suggested. Jade glanced at Beck before smirking at me. I raised my brows at her, wondering what she was planning.

"How about something better?" she proposed, shifting into a defensive stance. I caught on and returned her smirk. She wanted to fight me? Ok, then.

"Action," I accepted, mirroring her and readying myself. Stage fighting wasn't new for us. As soon as Jade grabbed at me Kyle called for the camera. I faked a few hits to Jade's side with my knee and then she swung me around with a hand in my hair and the other gripping at my shirt. It all felt real except for the fact that Jade was careful not to actually pull just as I had been careful not to actually hit her. We struggled a bit before I shoved her. She executed a controlled fall on her back but pulled me down to fall next to her. We played at pinning each other down until I let Jade get the upper hand. We ended the fight with Jade on top of me, both of us panting. I smiled up at her and she returned it for a moment before it fell to be replaced with a stern expression. She stood up, leaving me on the floor. I picked myself up just in time to receive praise from the producers. They thanked us and we left.

"Man, I can't wait to start coming up with scenes to do," Andre said, walking ahead with Beck. Jade and I exchanged a look.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" I asked her.

"Were you thinking of letting me actually use my scissors on you instead of pretending?" she replied, eerily serious. I panicked just a bit.

"No," I said with a shake of my head.

"Oh. Well then, no," she said with a shrug.

"I meant that we should think up stuff to do too," I told her. She looked to be thinking about it so I didn't push. We parted to go to class after that. I didn't see Jade again until I was going to my next class. I was just about to enter the main hall when I heard Beck and Andre arguing. It looked like they already put something together. I moved to get a better view, stopping next to Jade who had done the same. Their argument looked pretty real. And even after yelling at each other they ended the scene on a friendly note, the producers shaking their hands in a job well done. The students that crowded around dispersed now that the show was over, but Jade and I remained.

"Wow, they were great," I said, unconvinced that they had us beat. I glanced at Jade to see that she looked thoughtful. She brought her coffee to her lips for a drink.

"We can do better," she stated confidently.

"Whatcha got?" I asked, waiting to hear one of her schemes unfold. It was rare when I was a part of them and not the victim of them. She began walking down the steps and I followed. Her gaze locked on the janitor who had just walked by.

"Ok. What if Mr. Janitor got us in trouble for something and we got so pissed off about it that we, uh, maybe take our anger out on his car?" she suggested, a devious smile in place. For once, seeing it didn't scare me as much as it thrilled me. But wait.

"You can't trash the janitor's car. He got us those cute little chocolate mops for Valentine's Day," I disagreed, scolding at first but unable to hold back a smile towards the end. Jade sighed, scowling at me.

"We don't trash his real car," she told me in a clipped tone. Oh. Well then that could work.

"My dad's boss owns a junk yard. We get him to drop off a piece of junk car here and we wreck that one," she explained. Hmm.

"And say it's the janitor's car," I added, seeing what she meant. She gasped dramatically.

"Wow. I wish I thought of that! Oh right, I did," she replied, faking surprise up until she stated the obvious. I rolled my eyes and put a hand on my hip while she took another sip of her coffee. I was seconds from wondering how we could get along but not at the same time when a thought came to Jade. Her brows furrowed and her nose scrunched in an endearing way I hadn't really noticed before.

"Wait, that janitor didn't give me a chocolate mop for Valentine's Day," she remarked, pointing to herself.

"He didn't?" I questioned, playing up confused. It really looked like Jade was bothered by that. I couldn't help it. I had to win at least one round.

"Ha ha," I mocked, turning on my heel and leaving Jade there to no doubt fume. Finally. One point to Tori Vega.

* * *

The janitor gave ME a chocolate mop!

Teehee.

Feeling: Devious

* * *

I met back up with Jade at lunch. She explained that she got a hold of her dad and that the junk car had already been dropped off by now. We left our stuff in Sikowitz's classroom then headed out to the Asphalt Café to look for it.

"Where's the junker car?" I asked her, looking around once we were outside. Her phone went off and she looked down at it.

"The guy said he dropped it off in the north corner of the parking lot," she said, reading the text. I looked around again and spotted it.

"There it is," I pointed out. I headed toward it with Jade right next to me. We stopped a few feet from it, sizing it up. Was it weird that I was kinda pumped to wreck a car with Jade? Maybe.

"Sinjin!" I called. He came scurrying over with a bag of golf clubs. While Jade got the car I was tasked with what we would wreck it with. Jade suggested I find Sinjin since he usually had all kinds of things. She was right. He happened to have golf clubs with him. When he heard we needed his help he even dressed up and everything.

"Five iron," I requested as soon as he stopped next to me. He repeated it as he selected the club, removing it to hand to me.

"Give me a pitching wedge," Jade ordered. He nodded and passed her the club.

"Now, go tell the producer guys to come to the parking lot because there's good stuff about to go down," I told him. I heard a sniff and looked back to see him leaning toward Jade.

"And quit sniffing me," she bit out, turning to glare at him. He quickly ran for it. Smart boy. I mean, Jade did smell good but he didn't have to be weird about it. We stood around waiting until Sinjin came running back. Whoa, he was fast. He must get a lot of practice running for his life when he upset Jade.

"Camera crew's here," he yelled to us, careful to put distance between him and Jade. The camera crew quickly took their positions.

"Let's fake some reality TV," I stated, pushing shades onto my face and then glancing at Jade who wore her own. She looked good in them.

"Action," she stated, sauntering forward. We stopped at the targeted car and faced the camera.

"This is what happens when a school janitor gets us in trouble," I explained, holding up the golf club.

"Janitor's car, feel the wrath," Jade joined in. We exchanged looks then began swinging. Dents were created, windows cracked, the bumper fell off, and it was pretty fun. Jade managed to completely shatter a window when Festus came running over, yelling at us to stop. We paused, looking to him.

"What are you doing to my car?!" he exclaimed.

"**Your** car?" I repeated, confused.

"What is going on here?" Lane's voice demanded as he pushed his way through the camera crew. Oh no.

"We were wrecking this junker car for the show," I told him.

"Keep going!" Kyle encouraged excitedly.

"No!" Lane shouted. It was then when Festus lost it. He tried getting at them, but with his injuries Lane easily held him back.

"This is Festus' car," Lane told us.

"You said some guy dropped off this junker car for us to whack," I said, looking to Jade.

"Yeah. He must have meant that one," she replied evenly, gesturing to a car right across from us. I turned to see that it really was a hunk of junk. Way worse than the one we had been currently hitting. Oh boy. I felt really bad now.

"Aw man! We abused the wrong car!" I groaned.

"Alright, TV people, out!" Lane demanded.

"But we got a show to make," Kyle argued.

"Then go make it at another school. You all are done here," Lane responded.

"You can't kick us out, man," Nick refused. Lane might be nice and looked out for the students here, but that was also why he could also be a fierce protector. I could see the outrage in his eyes as he turned on Nick.

"What?! What?!" he shouted, grabbing the golf club from Jade before rounding on the camera crew. They all flinched back then agreed to leave, running off quickly. I watched it all from where I stood next to her. Shoulder to shoulder we waited for our punishment.

"Go call a tow truck for Festus' car," he told Sinjin, passing him the golf club. Sinjin sniffed at him before nodding and doing as he was told. Did he go around smelling everyone? Probably.

"Now how am I going to get home?" Festus questioned.

"Oh, don't worry Festus. I'll get you a ride home," Lane guaranteed with a pat to his shoulder and a meaningful look at us. Jade and I exchanged expressions of confusion. What did he mean? I guess we would find out soon enough.

**~Jade~**

When school was over I reluctantly trudged out to the parking lot. Vega was already out there, posture bent. She looked like a reprimanded dog in trouble. I scoffed and stopped to stand next to her. When I didn't get a reaction from her with my presence alone I nudged her. She turned to me with a guilty frown.

"Oh suck it up already. We busted the wrong car. Big deal," I dismissed, unconcerned.

"But it was the wrong car," she repeated.

"Yeah? So what," I said with a shrug. She rolled her eyes.

"That's just the criminal in you speaking. Don't you feel bad at all?" she asked.

"Not particularly. At least it was fun while it lasted," I responded casually. Truth was, I did feel bad, but the rush of trashing a car far outweighed it. And Vega had participated. That was something all on its own. She seemed to perk up a little.

"You had fun? With me?" she checked, that smile of hers starting to return.

"I would have fun with Robbie if he ever got the guts to trash a car," I replied bitingly. I expected her to wilt but her smile grew.

"So you're saying I have guts?" she questioned, grinning when I groaned my exasperation.

"Vega," I warned her.

"Aw, come on, Jade. Is it really so hard to admit that we had fun together? Even if I did get in trouble for it, I can admit that I did," she confessed. I smirked amusedly.

"You had fun breaking rules and getting in trouble with me?" I teased her. A light blush dusted her cheeks and my smirk strengthened. Now the tables had turned.

"Well…yeah. I did," she muttered, ducking her head and casting her gaze downward. I laughed and punched her shoulder.

"Maybe you aren't so bad after all," I allowed. She raised her eyes to mine and smiled.

"Thanks," she replied, meaning it. I didn't know what to do or say now so I changed the subject.

"Whatever. Festus is here. Lane wasn't kidding. Look," I said, pointing ahead. She turned to face Festus. He was walking along beside Lane who was pushing a wheelbarrow.

"Ok guys. You are to push Festus home in this as punishment for damaging his car," he explained for the second time. I had to admit, Festus was having the worst luck. First his injuries because the talentless Vega and the nerd couldn't talk it out civilly, and now his car was a wreck. The least we could do was make up for our mistake, unlike the other two who basically ruined his Grub Truck, adding insult to injury. Actually, when I think about it, it was Vega who pointed out the wrong car. I should be giving her hell for that, but I had gone along with it. I didn't question her. So it was both our faults. Ugh, when did I start caring what happened to others? I was just going to go ahead and blame Vega for that. We took the wheelbarrow from Lane, each of us holding one of the handles. Festus climbed on with a sigh, settling in.

"We're so sorry Festus," Vega said, completely sincere.

"It is ok. You push me home and we call it even," he replied. Lane saw us off, and soon, we were making our way off campus down the sidewalk. It would be some time before he had to give any directions. The street looked so long. Vega and I saved our breath to push so that the only sound was the passing traffic and the noise of the city. Festus told us where to go. It seemed to take forever, but eventually we were pushing him down a neighborhood street. He said we had a block left to go. I couldn't wait to get home and crash.

"This is so slow," Festus mentioned for the fifteenth time.

"Oh come on, Festus. It's not that bad," Vega responded, trying at cheery yet I could tell she was worn down so it came out lacking some of her patented Vega positivity.

"My car has radio," he stated bluntly.

"So what do you want us to do about it?" I snapped.

"Sing me a song," he answered. Vega and I both slowed to a stop, exchanging incredulous looks. We were surprisingly in tune sometimes. Vega sighed but complied.

"Move your body right next to mine," she began. I rolled my eyes at her choice but joined her.

"Feel the beat and we're lost in time-" we continued together, but Festus yelled over us.

"In Spanish!" he ordered. Again we stopped to look at each other incredulously. Festus was lucky I was too tired to argue. With another sigh we started over.

"Pon tu cuerpo cerca del mio. En el tiempo perdamonos. Yo soy tuyo y tu eres mio. Por siempre bebe. Yo no se que vamos a hacer. Nunca te dejare. Eres para mi y yo para ti. Por siempre bebe," we sang together. Festus smiled and danced a little as we continued, reaching the end of the song minutes later. We were practically panting now with the effort. Then he asked us to sing it again. I growled, agitated, but Vega placed a hand on my arm to calm me. I was reluctant to admit that it worked. So we sung it again, and by then, we reached our destination. As one we parked the wheelbarrow on the lawn and Festus climbed out. He thanked us then went inside, leaving us there.

"Great. Now what?" Vega questioned, hunched over. I pushed back my hair from my face then looked for my phone.

"I'll call Beck," I told her, already sending him a text. He answered quickly, jokingly asking if I wanted more time with Vega before he showed up. I wasn't in the mood. I might have threatened to shave him bald if he didn't hurry up. I had spotted a familiar landmark down the road and told Beck to meet us there. He agreed and I began walking.

"Where are you going? Did you get a hold of Beck?" Vega asked.

"Yeah, but we're meeting him somewhere else. I'm not standing around waiting for him here," I answered, walking as fast as I could. Vega sped up to match my pace. I was relieved when she fell quiet the rest of the way. We arrived just as Beck pulled up.

"Ladies," he greeted with a charming smile.

"Shut up," I snapped, getting in with Vega close behind. It was a quick ride to drop her off. She thanked Beck and then paused, leaning closer to me.

"For what it's worth, I **did** have fun. Even if we got in trouble," she mumbled, voice low so only I could hear. Her eyes met mine and she smiled. The corner of my lips quirked before I scoffed.

"Means less than a penny to me," I stated, watching as she saddened. I waited, wondering if she caught what I meant or if I would have to be more direct. It was vague, but I really didn't want to admit to it any more than I already did. Realization struck and her smile was so bright I was afraid I might just go blind.

"Really? You mean it?" she responded, hopeful. I rolled my eyes and pushed her away.

"Get out of my face, Vega. Geez, you irritate me," I complained. She only laughed and backed up, waving.

"See you guys later!" she said, turning away. Beck stayed until she was safely inside then pulled onto the street. He sent me an approving smile I looked away from. Of course he knew what I meant. Time spent with Vega was priceless, not worthless as I might have made it seem. It took a little thinking to understand, but she got it. That made me wonder what else she could figure out. The more we hung out together, the more she would understand. I wouldn't be able to hide how I felt for her anymore. But was that such a bad thing? I pondered the thought all the way home.


	18. A Film by Dale Squires

**I had planned to post for the anniversary of _Victorious_ but I didn't have the time. I got around to it though. One more episode left for the first season. I think I might get to it faster than this one.**

* * *

**~Tori~**

For the most part, classes at Hollywood Arts were fun, engaging, and often times entertaining. But today there was a lull before class and our fellow students decided to fill the time waiting around with various conversations. After a small disagreement between me and Jade concerning whether I was 'capable of silence for at least five minutes', her words exactly, I proposed a game. So far, I wasn't expecting any of the answers I received. In a way, it really helped me to get to know my friends.

"Ok, if you had to give up the internet or one of your feet," I established next.

"Foot," Cat easily answered from her seat in front.

"Foot," Jade added without hesitance.

"Foot," Andre agreed. Beck lifted his foot.

"See you, foot," he said.

"Really? You would all give up a foot to keep the internet?" I questioned.

"Totally," Beck said with a nod.

"Wouldn't you?" Cat asked.

"You love the internet," Andre told me.

"I know, but my foot is a part of my body, and the internet is…yeah, bye foot," I began to argue, but realized their reasoning. I let my foot fall from its perch on the back rest of the chair in front of me and caught Jade's small smile of approval out of the corner of my eye. That was something I was starting to notice, my annoying habit of watching Jade. I didn't know if it was to see her reactions, make sure she was okay, or…just to look at her, but it was starting to get on my nerves. What was so great about her anyway? The bell rang at that moment, signaling the start of class. Jade sighed and got comfortable, leaning back in her chair and propping her feet on Beck's lap. I forced myself to look away.

"All right future super stars, take your seats. Because at this point in your lives I am in charge of you," our teacher announced as he strode to the front of the class.

"Come on. Hurry up. Let's not waste time. We've got some excitement today," he urged, taking his place behind the podium.

"Yeah, I love excitement!" Cat exclaimed, clapping her hands.

"Who doesn't love excitement?" I questioned.

"Damien," Cat answered, subdued as she pointed out the extremely quiet and unnerving guy I only then noticed was sitting right next to me.

"She's right…Tori," he agreed with a nod, turning to stare at me. Okay, I was officially creeped out now. I carefully scooted closer to Andre.

"Ok, so today, instead of discussing the differences-" our teacher began, only to be interrupted by Robbie running into the room. Everyone turned to look at him.

"Hi. Sorry I'm late, sweaty, and out of breath," he panted.

"Somebody get me some coffee," Rex chimed in.

"Robbie, just sit down," our teacher told him.

"Why are you late?" I asked as he moved to take a seat.

"'Cause, my uncle Marty gave me this old car which I was really psyched about, except, it keeps breaking down," he answered, finally sitting.

"And on my way here, the motor died in the middle of a really bad neighborhood. Now don't get me wrong, I like all people, but look! A mean guy took my left shoe! And Rex's!" Robbie explained, lifting his foot and then holding out Rex's too.

"Put my foot down!" Rex ordered.

"Ok, let's all shut up and let teacher talk," our teacher said with a gesture at us and then to himself. I smiled a little. The teachers here were nothing like the teachers I had before, which was a good thing.

"Now, I bet you are all familiar with the short film called Butter Face," he continued. Everyone mumbled agreement.

"Oh my god, I watched that movie online like a billion times," I commented.

"Yeah, who hasn't?" Jade spoke up, glancing at me. I frowned at her obvious attempt to anger me and crossed my arms. I wasn't going to give her a reaction more than that. Sometimes I wondered what went through her head right before she acted on her need to be mean. One day she's a halfway decent person and the next she's picking on me at every turn. Why in the world was that interesting?

"Well, I'm glad you're all aware of the film because I'd like you to meet the director of Butter Face…" our teacher said.

"No way!" Andre exclaimed happily.

"Don't tease me," Jade warned.

"A former student of mine, Dale Squires!" our teacher introduced. He walked in at that moment, everyone clapping as he moved to the front.

"Ok Dale, the podium is all yours," our teacher said after a hand shake. He patted the podium and then left to the back of the room.

"Nice. I always wanted a plexiglass podium," Dale commented, earning a laugh from everyone.

"Uh, what happened to your shoe?" he suddenly questioned, looking to Robbie.

"Oh, it was taken by street toughs," Robbie replied.

"Hey, is it true that you're going to be directing Johnny Depp's new movie?" I asked, hoping he would answer the rumors I had heard.

"Uh, looks that way. Yeah," Dale replied. Wow. The class seemed to agree with me.

"That even excites me," Damien remarked in a flat tone, facial expression the same as always. Everyone looked to him, and then all at once, we scooted our chairs away from him. Suddenly, the door flew open and a mob of people tried to get in, headed by Trina. She was screeching something about Dale and I rolled my eyes. I should have known she would be heading a mob of fans. Although, Sinjin wasn't too far behind her. Our teacher quickly blocked them from entering, throwing his hands up.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What is going on here?" he questioned them.

"Cat sent out a mass text message saying that Dale Squires was here!" Trina explained.

"I love mass texting!" Cat shouted, raising her phone. The crowd started up again and our teacher tried to calm them. Trina ignored him.

"Hi Dale! I heard you're directing the new Johnny Depp movie, and guess what, I'd be perfect! Here's my headshot!" she stated, holding up the picture. Pushy as always. The crowd was just about to start again when our teacher silenced them with renewed authority.

"Hey! If you are not in this class then leave," he ordered.

"Yeah, you heard the man. Go on. Get out," Trina said with a wave of her hand. As soon as they were gone she turned back around to face our teacher.

"Hey," she greeted. He stood with crossed arms.

"You too, Trina," he said.

"But I look so good next to Johnny Depp in a movie. Please, Dale," she said, looking to him. He wisely didn't answer.

"Tori, can you make your sister leave?" our teacher asked me. I sighed but complied, knowing it was the only way.

"Trina, stop embarrassing me or I'll embarrass you," I stated simply, already making a mental list of true stories I could use against her.

"Don't threaten me," Trina retorted, not backing down. Okay then, she was warned.

"When Trina was six our family went to the mall just before Christmas…" I began.

"Don't say it!" she yelled at me.

"…and she peed. On Santa Claus," I finished. She groaned and quickly ran from the room.

"Thank you, Tori. Dale," our teacher said with a smile.

"All right, what were we talking about?" Dale asked. But the door opened again and Trina poked her head in.

"In all fairness, I did have a bladder infection," she said.

"Go!" I demanded. She gave me a petulant frown but shut the door. I rolled my eyes and turned back around, facing the front. My eyes fell on Jade who had yet to turn around. Her gaze froze me in place. The corner of her lips quirked and her pierced brow rose. Approval. Again? I wasn't given any time to think on it because she had already turned around and Dale started talking again. We listened as he explained how he worked.

"So, that's why I went with a hand held camera. I wanted to give it that panicky, jittery feel. You know?" he finished. The class mumbled their understanding.

"I love that panicky, jittery feeling," Cat mentioned.

"And it was totally brilliant how we didn't see his wife in that scene," I added.

"Yeah, 'cause it made you think, 'where is she?'" Andre said, changing his voice dramatically. I smiled and nodded at his antics.

"Well, to be honest, she wasn't in that scene because the actress that played the wife got food poisoning and was puking in the bathroom," Dale responded. Everyone chuckled.

"But hey, I'll take brilliant," he continued.

"One time, I ate a hamburger, and like, an hour later I started sneezing, but I don't think it had anything to do with the hamburger," Cat shared.

"Maybe your red hair dye seeps through your scalp and into your brain," Jade pondered, playing up being thoughtful. Cat was instantly worried.

"Can that happen?!" Cat yelped, her hands going to her head. Jade rolled her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. Poor Cat. Well, at least I wasn't the only one Jade picked on.

"So, Dale, why don't you tell my class why you're here," our teacher said, walking back up to the front of the room.

"Yeah!" Damien said with a nod. We glanced warily at him.

"Well, Chris asked me if I would help you guys make a short film. Kinda like a class project," Dale said. Oh wow, help from Dale Squires?

"And you'll direct it?" I inquired.

"That cool with you?" he replied.

"Uh, that's very cool with me, Dale Squires. So, what kind of movie are we going to make?" I answered, asking my own question.

"I don't know. I was thinking something maybe intense. Scary," he responded. Huh. Sounds like…

"Like Jade?" Rex piped up, laughing until a frowning Jade leaned over to smack him hard with her notebook.

"You knocked him unconscious!" Robbie shouted, worried. Jade didn't look concerned.

"Hey, Beck, maybe we could rework that one-act play you wrote last semester?" our teacher suggested. Beck thought about it. Why ask Beck for something like that? Shouldn't Jade be more qualified? And why wasn't she jumping at the chance?

"Yeah, I'd be into that," Beck confirmed.

"Oh, and I talked to a guy in the biz. He's going to let us use professional film, cameras, lights, whatever we need," Dale mentioned.

"Where are we gonna film?" Andre asked. A bright idea just hit me and my hand flew up.

"We could shoot it at my house!" I offered.

"Alright, I think we're making a movie," Dale concluded. The class cheered until Trina suddenly popped up from behind the podium. How long had she been hiding there? How did she even get in without being seen?

"I created this photo of me and Johnny Depp together so you could see what we look like-" she began to ramble to Dale, but I cut her off.

"On Santa Clause," I reminded her.

"Bladder infection!" she shot back.

"Out!" our teacher commanded, jabbing a finger at the door. Trina smiled at Dale then hurried out. I shook my head. Why me? A finger poked at my cheek and I flinched away.

"Hey!" I yelled, turning to Damien incredulously. He backed away. The last few minutes of class we were given free time to talk or question Dale one-on-one. I remained seated with Jade not too far away. Beck had gotten up to talk to Dale.

"I'm a little surprised you didn't jump to offer whatever you've written," I mentioned. She stopped picking at her nails to turn her attention to me.

"He may be Dale Squires, but no one besides me could accurately pull off my work. Or even do it justice," she responded.

"I guess you have a point," I allowed.

"Of course I do," she said with a nod. Yeah, Jade's work was all her own. No one else would be able to recreate it. Beck returned and Jade pulled him down so that she could prop up her feet again. I got up to talk to Andre.

**~Jade~**

As soon as the bell rang I stood from my seat and left Beck's side without explanation, my sights set on Damien who was trudging down the hall ahead of me. I caught up to him and shoved him so that he stumbled into the wall. Students scattered and his usually emotionless face registered fear.

"If you ever touch Vega, let alone breech her personal space again, I'll be sure to make you feel something, and it probably won't be good," I threatened, holding up my scissors and snipping them twice. He nodded hastily and practically ran down the hall. I smirked and spun the scissors on my finger before putting them away. That took care of that. No one made Vega that uncomfortable but me. When lunch came around I met up with Beck only for him to tell me he wasn't going.

"What do you mean you aren't going?" I demanded.

"I offered to help Robbie with his car troubles," he answered. I crossed my arms.

"Now go make nice and don't upset Tori too much," he told me, uncrossing my arms and dropping a kiss to my temple.

"Whatever," I grumbled. He only smiled and left. I shoved open the door and walked outside, grabbing food before taking a seat at our usual table. Vega showed up and sat on the other side. At least she was smart enough to sit away from me. What is with these compliments? They had to stop. It was enough that I was periodically marginally impressed with Vega's spunk. She could get back at someone if she wanted to, namely Trina, and there were times she was almost as snarky as me. And what was with her staring? It was like she was analyzing me or something. Speaking of…

"Quit staring at me, Vega. I wouldn't want to bloody my new scissors too early," I commented casually. She grimaced but was unaffected besides that.

"I never get tired of hearing your threats on my life," she responded sarcastically. Where was this coming from? I scowled.

"Jade, can't we get along just once? I mean, whatever I did to deserve you treating me like this…" she mumbled, starting out strong but losing steam. I looked up from my lunch to see that she was busy picking at her own. I took in her preoccupied expression and sighed. I wasn't seriously considering treating her better, was I?

"It isn't like we haven't gotten along before," she remarked, eyes coming up to meet mine pointedly. I thought back to those times and shook my head to clear them away.

"Don't kid yourself, Vega," I grumbled, focusing on lunch again. I heard her sigh in defeat.

"Sorry if I'm not the company you wanted. Cat's being Cat and Andre needed to talk with a teacher," she informed me, changing the subject.

"Yeah, and Beck is having buddy time with Robbie," I told her. She tilted her head, confused.

"Buddy time?" she repeated.

"He's helping Robbie fix his junk box of a car," I clarified.

"Oh. I hope they figure it out," Vega said with a nod. From there we were quiet all the way to the end of lunch. We went our own ways without a word, but I swore I saw Vega give me a parting glance. What was up with her recently? And did we just have a somewhat civil conversation?

**~Tori~**

* * *

Dale Squires is coming

to MY HOUSE! Ahhh! Andre

wants onion dip.

Feeling: Busy

* * *

I had never seen my house so full of people before. It was different but exciting considering why they were here. I kept myself busy doing all I could with the set up. I glanced at the time. Mom would be home soon. Just as I thought that she came in from the garage.

"Uh, Tori? Tori?" she called to me, bags of groceries in her arms.

"Hey, mom," I greeted, jogging over.

"What is all this?" she asked, looking around the room.

"You said I could shoot a short film here for school," I replied.

"Yeah, I thought that meant you, a couple of friends, a camcorder, maybe a microphone," she said, voice straining. Well, I did leave out all this so I could see why she was surprised.

"Mom, Dale Squires is helping us. This is a big deal," I told her.

"Hey, did you buy onion dip?" Andre asked from behind me. Mom's brows creased.

"No," she answered, blunt.

"Why not?" Andre questioned. I turned to shoot him a look but mom already had it handled. With a look of her own, while heavily setting the stuff down, he backed off. Cat came running over soon after.

"Where's Trina?" mom asked.

"Tori locked her in the bathroom," Cat promptly answered.

"Cat! You weren't supposed to tell her that," I said with a wave of my hand.

"I'm ok with it," mom responded. Huh. Well, ok.

"I'm just going to take a hot bath. Please don't ruin the house," she continued.

"We're not going to ruin the house," I promised. A loud shatter got everyone's attention.

"My bad!" someone shouted. I looked to mom.

"I'll…uh…" I sputtered.

"Just try to-" she began.

"Yeah, we'll…" I tried again.

"Ok," she said, nodding before leaving us to it. I turned around to see Beck and Jade carrying more supplies and setting them down.

"Hey, what time is it?" I questioned.

"I'm not your clock," Jade snapped, walking away.

"Almost nine," Beck answered after dutifully pulling out his phone to check.

"I need to be home in bed by ten thirty. Can we **please** get started?" Robbie said.

"Without a director?" Andre inquired.

"Yeah, where's Dale? He was supposed to be here at seven," I pointed out.

"One time, when I was seven, I was at the beach and I made a sand castle and I called it Cat's Castle," Cat said, smiling. Everyone stopped to look at her.

"True story," she said, like we wouldn't have believed her. I shook my head, catching Jade's eyes which she rolled before going back to work with everyone else. Just then the door opened and Dale entered.

"Hey. Who's ready to make a movie?" he asked, getting cheers and positive responses. Finally, he was here.

"So, Tori, are you going to be my little assistant on this project?" Dale questioned me, walking past and heading for the kitchen.

"Yeah, sure. In fact, I mean, I know you're the director and everything but I had a cool idea about how we can set up the first shot," I shared, watching as he raided the grocery bags left on the counter. What was he doing?

"Yeah, talk to me," he agreed.

"Ok, so, I was thinking we open on a close-up of…" I started to say, but then his phone went off.

"Oh, uh, hey, I gotta take this," he said, answering the phone. He started talking, walking away, but I stopped him.

"It's almost nine and we have school tomorrow…" I tried to tell him, but he held up a hand.

"Go ahead and start shooting without me," he responded. What?

"Yeah, but I don't know how to-" I tried again, but he cut me off.

"Do your close-up thing. The one you were telling me about," he tossed out, turning to head out the back door. I stood there, at a loss for words.

"Ok, uh, let's start the first shot," I announced once I gathered myself. I jogged into the living room so that everyone could hear me.

"Beck," I called to him.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"Let me have you on the couch," I directed.

"Girl," Jade warned, glaring at me.

"For the shot," I told her. She held the glare a moment longer before turning away. Something else shattered and the same guy apologized.

"You know, just yelling 'my bad' doesn't make it ok," I shouted at him, hands on my hips. We just started and already things weren't turning out so good. Jade chuckled and it was my turn to glare. She **would** like seeing me struggle. I shook my head and focused on the scene. We only had so long before we had to pack up and continue at another time.

**~Jade~**

I don't think I had this much fun teasing Beck since we met. Then again, there wasn't really anything to make fun of him for. But hearing him explain his time with Robbie was pure gold. Now that a few classes were out of the way he was off to spend lunchtime with the nerd again. I couldn't wait to hear what else happened. This time he was the one to leave with a bit of reluctance and I was unconcerned. However, as we headed outside he pulled me closer.

"Aww, look who isn't complaining. I mean, why would you? You're going to be with Tori," he whispered, wiggling his eyebrows. I elbowed him in the side and he laughed despite cringing.

"Go away," I growled at him.

"Have fun," he said with a parting wave. I stopped myself from kicking him and instead went to get food. I let out an exasperated groan and sat down heavily when I arrived at the table, gaining a slight frown from Vega.

"Where the chiz is everyone?" I wondered, looking around. Vega shrugged. She looked worried. Ugh, was I really going to ask?

"What's wrong with you? Besides the usual," I tacked on, covering my concern. She spared me a small frown and sighed.

"Dale Squires," she answered.

"What about him?" I responded.

"He was barely there yesterday. I had to take over most of it just because he would rather talk about hot girls with one of his buddies. At this rate we could have used something of yours and have you direct it," she whined, dropping her fork.

"And let him get the credit? Heck no. Besides, who wouldn't want to talk about hot girls instead of helping teenagers with a school project?" I teased, smirking when multiple expressions crossed her face. She settled on peeved.

"The least you could do is comfort me like a friend is supposed to. I'm not exactly skilled in directing a movie. I'm worried here," she continued.

"First of all, I'm not your friend. Secondly, what was with that opening shot-" I began, laughing when she groaned and covered her face.

"Jade!" she whined again. I was kind of getting used to hearing her speak my name so often. That was probably a bad thing.

"Ok, ok. Look, if all this doesn't go well in the end then it won't be because of you. If he isn't around for most of it then he can take the blame for a crappy finished product. I'm sure everyone else could vouch for you," I told her, picking at my food and avoiding her now steady gaze. I told myself not to look up, but I caved. She was looking at me with that studious expression again.

"So you're basically saying it isn't my fault and I shouldn't worry," she simplified.

"Yeah, sure. Can I eat now?" I questioned impatiently. She nodded and I quickly took a big bite so that I could shut myself up. I said too much already. The rest of lunch went by quietly again, but I was starting to get wazzed off at that little smile on Vega's face. It better not be there because of me.

**~Tori~**

* * *

I feel like a real DIRECTOR!

(Dale is busy again.)

Feeling: In Charge

* * *

I'm not surprised that Dale was once again 'busy'. But that's totally fine because I could handle this. Jade kind of gave me a boost of confidence. It was an odd thing to happen but it did. I never failed to enjoy nice words coming from her since they were so rare. Especially directed at me. But she was capable, and she proved it again. After school we were all back at my house. It was Jade and Cat's turn to perform while I overlooked the scene. Jade was kneeling over Cat, shaking her. She said her lines, acting out her worry, and then delivered an unexpected slap to Cat's face.

"Ow!" Cat cried, opening her eyes and holding a hand to her cheek.

"Cut!" I yelled, sighing.

"What?" Jade questioned, agitated.

"You're not supposed to hit her," I said, walking over to stand by Jade who was still on her knees. She didn't seem so intimidating, which made it easier to deal with her.

"I felt that's what my character would do," she explained. I pushed back my hair, frustrated.

"My face hurts," Cat said, touching her cheek.

"Can we try it again? Without the physical assault?" I asked, pointedly looking at Jade.

"Uh, you're not the director," she reminded me.

"Our director's over there playing on his laptop," Andre spoke up. Jade's brows furrowed as she turned to look at Dale who was indeed sitting at the table on his laptop, eating chips, and talking on the phone.

"Wait here," I told them, moving to approach him.

"Dale, please hang up," I requested, irritated with him. He gave me a look but complied.

"Hey, I gotta jump," he said to the person on the phone. At least he listened.

"I'm sorry, but you gotta take a look at my website. Can you believe how many comments? People love me," he continued, gesturing to the laptop. I rested a hand on my hip.

"I know. Now could you please help us shoot this last scene?" I asked, yet demanded. We really needed to get this done.

"What? For the movie?" he questioned, confused.

"Yes!" I yelled, reaching over and crushing the chip he had in his hand.

"All right. Let's take a look," he finally agreed. He stood and I led him back to the living room.

"Alright, for this scene, I think we should…what scene are we shooting?" he inquired. I internally screamed but outwardly remained calm.

"Scene twenty-nine where Olivia finds Monica dead," I remind him.

"Ah, right," he confirmed, moving to a different spot.

"Ok, I want you two on the couch for that," he said, pointing to Jade and Cat.

"You can't have them on the couch," Andre denied.

"Why can't I?" Dale asked.

"Because at the end of scene twenty-eight Monica collapses on the floor," I explained.

"Well we don't have to shoot it that way," he responded.

"We already shot it, Squires," Andre snapped.

"When?" Dale questioned.

"Last night. When you were in the Jacuzzi," I answered.

"Just show him the scene," Jade spoke up.

"You already cut it together?" he asked.

"Yeah, here," Andre said, getting up to show him.

"Wow. The movie looks really good," he remarked.

"Thanks. That means so much," Andre responded in a deadpan.

"So see. Monica has to be on the floor," I repeated.

"Yeah. Yeah, ok. Let's shoot one. Ready?" he announced. Jade got up from the couch to kneel next to Cat again who was sitting on the floor.

"Roll," Dale ordered.

"Can you please tell her not to slap me?" Cat questioned hopefully. Jade looked to Dale.

"She should do whatever feels right," he replied. The devilish smirk that crossed Jade's face made me both worried and a little…

"Lie down," Jade demanded, turning back to Cat. She pouted but did as she was told. A fake innocent smile pulled at Jade's lips. Poor Cat, but with Dale taking over I couldn't say anything.

"Action!" Dale commanded. The scene played out again, except this time, Jade got in a few more slaps.

"Um, Jade?" I questioned, cringing every time her hand hit Cat's face, but she didn't stop.

"I'll go get some ice," I mumbled reservedly, Jade still slapping Cat. It was going to be another long night for everyone. When the time had come to turn in the film it was all too quick. We were gathered in the Black Box Theater with anyone else who wanted to see it where a large screen was set up. I took a seat by Andre and skimmed the audience to see Jade huddled up with Beck at the end of the row. The movie came on and I turned to watch it. Everyone did so well and I was so proud of us.

"It looks fantastic!" Andre whispered happily.

"I know! We did great!" I replied, just as happy. The sight of Jade with a bloody knife was unsettling, but it made sense that she turned out to be the killer. Or that she even wanted to be the killer. Beck's performance seemed so real and Cat did a good job too. I saw her sitting behind us next to Robbie, a bag of ice pressed to her face. The swelling and redness had gone down a lot. I looked to Jade again, aiming a glare at her she returned with a smirk when she saw that I was looking at Cat and now her. She winked and I was caught off guard a moment. She pulled Beck closer to whisper something, triggering a strange feeling within me. I couldn't look at them anymore. I turned back around to see the start of the credits. Everyone was clapping and cheering.

"Yay, they love it!" I stated in triumph, grabbing at Andre's arm.

"Yeah they do," he agreed, clapping along with them.

"Here come our credits," I said, waiting to see all our names up on screen. Both our smiles fell when all credit went to Dale. I knew the others had to be just as confused as we were.

"You said you put all our names at the end," I said, looking to Andre.

"I did. Dale must have taken them off," he replied.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Dale yelled from the front of the room, the screen now off.

"He's taking all the credit?" I ground out, appalled.

"He's taking all the credit!" I shouted this time.

"I can't believe this," Andre muttered. We waited for the audience to thin, standing back while everyone congratulated Dale.

"Shouldn't we say something to him?" I demanded of the gang. All at once they decided to volunteer me. I tried to fight against them but they started pushing. One last shove from Jade had me stumbling forward.

"Hey, Dale," I began, making sure to sound angry.

"Hey, Tori. Can you get me a bottle of water?" he requested. Was he serious?

"No! You took all the credit for the movie **we** made," I replied.

"So I can't get a drink?" he questioned. Ugh, I'm so close to siccing Jade on this guy. Whatever she decided to do was bound to be appropriate.

"Why did you take our names off the movie?" I asked him.

"I directed it," he responded, like it was obvious.

"Really? You didn't even show up most of the time, and when you did, you just talked on the phone, ate our snacks, and napped in our Jacuzzi," I bit out, wazzed.

"Come on. You think Stephen Spielberg really directed Jaws?" he scoffed.

"Yes!" I answered.

"Look, I really gotta go," he told me, side stepping and walking away.

"Wait," I called to him.

"What?" he responded, stopping to look back.

"You know I directed that movie," I told him, unwilling to back down.

"Beck wrote it and Andre did all the music and editing. What did you do?" I continued.

"I took the credit," he answered, unashamed.

"Well that's mean. You should at least share the credit with us," I said.

"Man, you really don't get Hollywood, do you?" he questioned, patronizing.

"Oh, by the way. The after-party has been cancelled so tell your friends, no after-party," he added. As soon as he turned around someone greeted him, congratulated him, and then said that he would see him at the after party. With a forced smile he headed out. Were we just uninvited to the after party on top of all this? All I could do was stand there until Andre came up and patted my shoulder.

* * *

I want to shove my thumb into

Dale Squires' eyeball.

Feeling: Wazzed Off

* * *

I really didn't want to go to class. I just wanted the day to end. Ever since Dale Squires used us to make a great movie he took all the credit for I hadn't been feeling up for anything. Most of the time I spent between classes or at lunch sitting on the floor under my locker. As useless as it was, I kept wanting to come up with a way to get back at him. But how?

"Tori," Andre suddenly called to me, heading over with his laptop.

"Vega," Jade said, following right behind him.

"Check out the home page on SplashFace," she ordered, crouching down to sit by my feet. Andre took a seat to my right.

"I've already seen the lobster on a bicycle video," I told her, taking the laptop from Andre.

"Look up top," Andre instructed. I did so.

"Our movie is the number one featured video," I gasped.

"Two million views in one day," Jade remarked.

"And Dale Squires is taking all the credit," Andre reminded me.

"**And** he keeps deleting all my very creative negative comments," Jade added, taking a sip of her coffee. I could always count on Jade to make it difficult on someone. I wonder what her comments were.

"Ugh, look at this. He's using our movie to promote himself," I pointed out.

"What'd he write?" Andre asked.

"'Catch me Thursday night on the Mack Murphy Show," I read. I sighed, running a hand through my hair, but then a thought came to me.

"Hey, don't they tape Mack Murphy down the street? Off Sunset?" I questioned.

"Yeah, I think," Andre confirmed.

"So…maybe we should go?" I suggested slyly.

"Ugh, gross. Talk shows are for tourists and Canadians," Jade quickly disagreed.

"And, revenge seekers," I corrected. Both Jade and Andre gave me a look.

"Ohhh, so what's the plan?" Andre asked when he understood.

"I don't know. You're smart, she's mean. Come up with something," I answered, shutting the laptop and handing it back to him. Andre took it with a nod and stood to go. Jade stayed where she was.

"Just mean, huh?" she inquired, swirling the coffee in her cup idly before taking another drink.

"Well, yeah. Other things too," I confirmed with a nod, crossing my arms. She smirked.

"Care to elaborate?" she asked.

"No," I replied. Definitely not. Especially when the things at the top of that long list of descriptive words was smart as well as attractive.

"What a nice compliment," she commented.

"Weirdo," I grumbled under my breath.

"If you're going to insult me, do it properly. Avoiding eye contact and taking back what you mean to say is no way to do it," she lectured, a hint to her voice that sounded…teasing. But playfully, like she was…joking with me.

"You're a weirdo," I stated with conviction as I moved to get up. She stood up too.

"That's better. Practice and maybe you'll come up with more creative ones," she replied, casual, as if we were talking about the weather instead of how to properly insult someone. I narrowed my eyes at her.

"You know, I find it sad that Beck would rather go fix up a car with Robbie than spend time with his own girlfriend," I mentioned, trying to inject the bite her voice contained most of the time. Her smirk was back, a brow raised.

"Nice one, Vega. I'm hurting on the inside," she remarked, unconvinced, tipping back the cup to finish off her coffee. I found myself eyeing the pale expanse of her neck. When my eyes met hers they widened and I hastily tried to avoid them. She canted her head and stepped closer, her free hand resting on the locker behind me. Her intense gaze pieced mine, paralyzing me. I didn't know what she was looking for, but eventually she stepped back.

"We'll come up with something," she said, turning on her heel and walking away. I slowly let out the breath I didn't know I was holding, watching as she sauntered down the hall and out of sight. What the heck was that all about?

**~Jade~**

There was only so much time left before the show aired and we had yet to think of something. Vega was known to come up with stupid ideas to help someone so it was obvious who had to come up with ideas to hurt someone. It figures she wouldn't be up to the task. I thought back to the day she went off on Dale Squires. At the time, I wasn't prepared for the thoughts running through my head. She was forceful and demanding. Despite being pushed into it, she owned it and did her best to tell off that scumbag. He wasn't really affected, but that was besides the point. If at all possible Vega just became more interesting, and that sucked. I breathed out a heavy sigh and looked up to see Andre hanging around my locker. I sped up and stopped in front of him.

"Hey, Jade. I came up with this really cool idea-" he began, but I held up a hand.

"It isn't some lame elementary school prank, is it?" I interrupted. He hesitated.

"Ok, I'm going to take that as a 'yes'," I said, opening my locker and trading out books. Andre threw up his hands.

"Well, what do **you** suggest?" he asked.

"Oh, if I could, I wouldn't hesitate to hunt down Dale and-" I growled, only for Andre to talk over me.

"Whatever you're planning doesn't sound legal," he disagreed. I rolled my eyes and slammed my locker shut.

"Then what? He deserves what's coming to him so it has to be good. He can't just get off with Vega ranting at him," I snapped. He seemed to think about it a moment, brows hunched.

"Tori did a good job of that, huh? For being forced to do it, I mean. I rarely see her that upset so I forget just how angry she can get until Trina does something," he commented.

"Yeah, sure. She was alright, I guess. Too bad Dale is too stupidly full of himself for it to have any effect. We need someone far more violent than Vega," I remarked. Andre's eyes brightened and he grinned.

"I got it!" he exclaimed.

"What is it?" I questioned. With a smile still in place he began to explain the plan he had in mind. I had to admit, it wasn't that bad.

**~Tori~**

* * *

Going to the Mack Murphy

Show – for REVENGE.

Moo-ha-ha-ha…

Feeling: Feisty

* * *

Jade and Andre filled Cat and I in. Robbie and Beck were going to stay behind to continue working on the car. I felt confident that the plan would turn out perfectly, but now that I was here, standing off to the side of the show's set, I began to worry. I knew what Dale Squires did was unethical and he deserved what would happen, but…

"Don't you dare second guess this, Vega," Jade told me under her breath.

"So what if I am?" I responded.

"What happened to getting revenge?" she asked.

"I just, it doesn't feel right," I tried to explain.

"It will. The best part is seeing your plans turn out smoothly," Jade said, unconcerned.

"Yeah, but you're used to wanting to hurt people. I'm not," I pointed out. She shrugged then reached over and grabbed my arm before leaning in.

"Like I said, practice," she reminded me. She let me go when Cat came sidling between us, hopping up and down in excitement. I shared a quick glance with Jade before we turned our attention ahead.

"Alright people. Listen up, listen up. We're about ten minutes from go time on Up Late with Mack Murphy. So let me hear ya!" the announcer said. The audience cheered.

"Look at all the stupid tourists," Jade sneered, glaring at them. I leaned forward to see her past Cat, but she looked away from me. Andre finally showed up, bringing along his cousin as he said he would. He greeted us and we returned it.

"This is my cousin, Kendra," he introduced us. We greeted her too.

"She's a great actress," he continued.

"I get paid up front," Kendra stated, holding out her hand. **Well**. We all dug around for the money and gave it to her.

"Twenty, thirty, forty, keep it coming," she counted, storing it in her bra. Yet she demanded more of Jade who I was sure wouldn't give it, but with a glare she handed out more.

"Fifty," Kendra concluded, putting it away.

"Ok, so when Dale Squires sits down you're going to wait exactly two minutes-" I started to tell her, but she spoke over me.

"Andre told me what to do. I don't have to hear it twice," she said with a wave of her hand.

"Yes, ma'am," I quickly agreed. We stood in silence a moment.

"What do you eat? Salad?" Kendra interrogated me. I glanced down at myself, seeing her look me up and down.

"Sometimes," I admitted.

"Figures," she grumbled. We fell quiet again, except this time it was awkward. Jade did a poor job of hiding a laugh in a fake cough. I shot her a glare but she just smiled innocently. The announcer came back out to say that the show would be starting so we hurriedly found our seats. Andre sat next to me while Jade sat behind me next to Cat. Kendra took a seat further down the row. We watched as Mack Murphy walked out, taking a seat behind his desk. He then introduced Dale and began asking him about past projects. Soon he moved on to what he was doing now.

"And you're gonna be working with Johnny Depp on a big movie?" he asked.

"Yeah. Made the deal this morning," Dale answered. The audience clapped.

"I'm betting it didn't hurt that this new short film that you just did has already gotten like, what, three million views this week?" Mack Murphy said.

"Uh huh," Dale agreed with a nod.

"Have you guys seen Dale's short film?" Mack Murphy questioned the audience. They answered with more applause. I crossed my arms, frowning. Andre didn't look too happy either.

"Jerk," he stated. Pretty much. I pulled out my phone to check the time.

"Thirty seconds," I told him. I glanced over to see Kendra with her phone out too.

"Yeah, um, about that film. I gotta be honest," Dale began.

"So you're not going into politics?" Mack Murphy asked him jokingly. Cat was the only one to laugh.

"That was off the cuff," she remarked. I looked to her, seeing Jade's unamused expression out of the corner of my eye. Yeah, I had to agree with Jade.

"It's just, I've been feeling kinda guilty," Dale continued.

"About?" the host inquired.

"Well, it wouldn't be fair for me to take credit for that movie. See, most of the work was done by a really talented group of students from Hollywood Arts high school, here in LA. Specifically, I would like to give credit to Andre Harris, Jade West, Beck Oliver…" he confessed, pulling out a piece of paper to list our names. Um, what was going on?

"Aww, he's giving us credit," Cat commented.

"On national TV," Jade added.

"…Robbie Shapiro, Sinjin Van Cleef, and most importantly, Tori Vega," Dale finished. Oh boy.

"Your cousin!" I exclaimed, looking to Andre.

"My cousin," he repeated, just as shocked.

"She's gonna…" I choked out.

"Oh man," he groaned. We stood to try and call it off but she only winked and gave us a thumbs up. She sent me the signal through her phone to mine. Oh no. Kendra launched from her seat, looking outraged in a second.

"Hey there! Dale Squires!" she screamed, getting everyone's attention.

"Uh, apparently you have a fan in the crowd," Mack Murphy remarked. A security guard came to stop her but she effortlessly tossed him aside. She then stomped up on the set to face Dale directly.

"Hey Dale, how come you lied to me?" she demanded.

"Ma'am?" the host questioned hesitantly.

"I don't know you. I don't know her," Dale denied, looking from Kendra to Mack Murphy.

"You don't know me?! This man took me to a fish restaurant two weeks ago and told me he loved me and I haven't heard from him since!" she shouted, looking to the audience and then back at Dale who was cowering in his seat. I exchanged a worried glance with Andre. He covered his face.

"No, no, no, no, no. Come on, alright. She's lying, ok. You-you are a liar," Dale stammered while the audience booed.

"Liar? Oh, no! That's it! I'm about to open up a cloud and rain all over you!" Kendra yelled. She took off her earrings, threw them down, and then lunged at Dale. He screamed and tried to escape over the couch but she quickly caught him. What followed was not a pretty sight. Kendra tossed him around like a rag doll. Dale begged Mack Murphy to go to commercial but he approved too much of the drama, and when he asked the audience if they liked it, they cheered. We could only sit and watch at this point.

"She's so strong," Cat commented. She was.

"Dale gave us credit," Andre muttered, still shocked. He did.

"Even I feel bad," Jade admitted. That was saying something.

"We should do something," I told them.

"Waffles?" Cat suggested.

"I like waffles," I agreed.

"Waffles are good," Jade mentioned.

"I know a place," Andre offered.

"Off we go," I stated, anxious to leave. Two security guys ran in and Kendra knocked them both out. She shook poor Dale until he started to cry.

"What did I do?!" he wailed. I turned away and ran for the exit followed closely by Jade, Andre, and Cat. We found the waffle place Andre spoke of and sat down to eat, trying not to think about our mistake. It had me thinking though. Did Dale set it up to be that way so that he could publicly announce our names for our gain or his own? Or did he really feel bad and just wanted to make it up to us? I felt so bad either way. I looked at my now empty plate and sighed. There wasn't anything to distract me anymore. I turned my head to see that Jade still had a waffle left.

"You gonna eat that?" I asked.

"Drowning your sorrows in food, Vega? That's not healthy," she responded, a bit teasingly but lacking malice. I shrugged, having nothing to say.

"Order another coffee for me and we'll see," she said. So I flagged down the waitress and got Jade another cup of coffee. Without a word, she dumped sugar in with one hand while pushing her plate to me with the other. I smiled thankfully but she ignored me, directing a question to Cat that had something to do with why she was putting so much syrup on her last waffle. I wasn't really paying attention because I felt Jade's hand land on my thigh. With a comforting squeeze her hand slid away, making the contact as a whole, brief. I decided to ignore the feelings that gave me and stuffed my face. Jade's sharp comment about my terrible eating skills didn't provoke me like it was meant to. It felt like a cover up. One look at Jade and I knew that it was for sure. She had comforted me and she knew it. She meant it. I couldn't help smiling at the thought. Yet it was just one more thing to add to the long list of questionable behavior between us.

**~Jade~**

I sat with Beck in his car at lunch the next day, throwing out the excuse that he needed to make up all those days spent with Robbie instead of me. Our friends accepted it well enough. I refused to see how Tori reacted and dragged Beck out to the parking lot. I wanted to talk to him but I was having a hard time starting. He seemed to know and began the conversation by telling me what happened during the lunches spent fixing Robbie's car. That nerd. I couldn't believe he pulled off his shirt and streaked car grease on himself to look good for some chicks, or that he complimented how well Beck's jeans fit him. However, I **could** believe that he was hosed down and then his car was stolen once it was finally fixed up, leaving him to curl up on the ground crying just as cheerleaders showed up for the ride Beck told them about.

"So he basically said you had a nice butt," I pointed out, taking a sip of the coffee he bought me.

"Uh, no. He was talking about the jeans," Beck denied.

"And how well they fit you, which means he was looking at your butt," I pressed, laughing when he stammered and then rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. So, how did the whole revenge plot against Dale work out?" he questioned, turning the conversation away from him.

"Well…he ended up giving us credit," I began.

"Really?" Beck said, surprised.

"Yeah," I said with a nod.

"On national television?" he checked to make sure.

"Yep," I said again.

"Wow," he said after a whistle.

"I know," I mumbled.

"And you still went through with it?" Beck inquired.

"We tried to stop her but she didn't listen," I defended.

"Poor guy," he concluded. I shrugged it off.

"Yeah, well, maybe he should have just given us the credit in the first place. Maybe then Vega wouldn't have gotten it in her head to get revenge only to feel bad about it after and I wouldn't have to comfort her so that she didn't eat herself into a coma from grief," I ranted, looking away when Beck smiled. He leaned back, the action casual yet I knew it wasn't.

"Ok, so I took your advice. So what?" I muttered.

"What advice would that be? I give lots of advice," he replied, playful. I punched his arm and he flinched but laughed.

"I comforted her…in my own way of course," I confessed.

"Of course," he agreed. He tilted his head to see my face better since I was trying not to look at him. Eventually I met his gaze.

"And?" he gently encouraged.

"I liked it," I murmured, almost inaudible. He laughed happily and scooped me into a warm hug I returned. With my chin resting on his shoulder I thought about my confession. For once, it felt good to be honest with myself.


	19. Sleepover at Sikowitz's

**~Tori~**

Pretending to cry was a bit tricky. I knew I could cry on a dime, that was easy, but making it **believable** was a whole other thing. The skit Sikowitz had Andre and I do was yet another opportunity to try again. Hopefully I was better than before. Jade didn't look too convinced. She sat with crossed arms and a bored expression while Beck draped an arm over her shoulder, casual and laid back as ever. The usual. Jade kept her eyes forward on our skit, not even reacting to him. I kept up the act to the best of my ability, but then Sikowitz wandered on the small stage and kept interrupting me every time I tried to finish my sentence. It was really distracting.

"I'm sorry, kids. Excuse me," he eventually spoke up, stepping between me and Andre with a hand out. Andre backed up. What now? Jade sat forward, causing Beck's arm to drop. Of course now she was interested.

"I don't mean to interrupt the scene, but Tori, look at the red dot I drew on this index card," Sikowitz continued, holding out said index card with a red dot in the middle. I leaned in, staring at it, wondering why he even asked.

"Boo!" he suddenly shouted. I screamed and jumped, falling to the floor. Some of the students laughed while others were just as shocked as me. Jade snickered. Well at least **she** was having fun because **I** certainly wasn't.

"Sikowitz! You scared the fudge out of me!" I said from where I was laying on the floor. He only flicked the card away and moved to crouch down next to me.

"Why did you stop crying?" he questioned.

"What?" I responded.

"You were playing the role of a crying woman who's just been told she's going to have surgery. Why did you break character?" he explained.

"'Cause you interrupted our scene and screamed 'boo!' in my face," I answered. I looked to Andre and he shrugged.

"Tori and Andre, take your seats," Sikowitz said, helping me from the floor. Andre and I sat back down.

"I'm trying to teach you kids about method acting. And that means, whatever character you're playing, you must stay in that character the entire time no matter what happens. Whether on camera or off camera, on stage or off stage. You've got to understand that-" he lectured, stopping when the bell rang.

"Until tomorrow," he concluded. Everyone stood to leave, and we were almost out the door, but one look back at Sikowitz sitting at the edge of the stage and I knew he wanted the six of us to stay. I sighed and Jade rolled her eyes, but we all turned back to our teacher.

"Look, I'm sorry we disappointed you," I began.

"Yeah, it's just that, we think method acting is kind of dumb," Robbie commented while we reclaimed our seats. The rest of us agreed.

"Of course you think method acting is dumb. It's too challenging for you," Sikowitz replied evenly.

"Yeah, I really don't think **that's** the issue here," Jade said.

"Staying in character, no matter what happens, is only something true professional actors can pull off. Sometimes I forget that you're all just children. Amateurs," he stated nonchalantly. I raised a brow, slightly offended but also wondering if he meant it. I looked to see that Jade and Andre had the same look. Beck's brows furrowed and Robbie's eyes widened.

"He called us amateurs!" Cat exclaimed, upset.

"Your wackjob teacher just called all of you out! Ha, ha, I love it!" Rex mocked. Jade's glare landed on Rex before flicking back to Sikowitz.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your little - amateur – feelings," Sikowitz remarked.

"He did it again!" Cat gasped.

"I really don't think method acting is all that hard," Beck disagreed, walking forward.

"Then I issue a challenge," Sikowitz replied, getting up to step into a fencer's stance. Beck questioned him with narrowed eyes.

"What kind of challenge?" I asked, interested.

"Who wants to have a sleepover at my house?" he asked, raising a hand in excitement. What?

"I do!" Jade quickly replied, standing up. We all looked to her in disbelief. She was unaffected.

"Oh come on. You guys don't wanna see where this lunatic lives?" she inquired, walking around behind me and then towards the front to gesture at our teacher. Well…when she put it that way.

"No offense," she tacked on, stopping to face Sikowitz with her hands on her hips. We all stood to gather up front too.

"It's all right, Jade. I savor your bitterness like a sweet rancid cream sauce," he countered, rolling the 'R's' in 'rancid' and 'cream'. If there was one person in the whole school who was unafraid of Jade, it was Sikowitz. I didn't think she minded that though. We all favored him above the other teachers for his odd but respectful ways. Jade narrowed her eyes questioningly at him. The expression was kind of cute; like she wanted to be angry but was too confused to. I smiled and held it even when she glanced at me. Cat giggled on the other side of her. Jade just crossed her arms.

"So what's the plan?" Cat asked.

"All of you will show up at my house on Friday night at seven pm. Each of you will be playing a distinct character. And you must stay in your character until Saturday morning," he began.

"And what happens if we break?" Andre questioned.

"You'll be immediately banished from my home," Sikowitz answered.

"So, who picks the characters we play?" Jade inquired. Sikowitz turned to her.

"Beck, you'll choose for Cat. Cat will choose for Robbie and Robbie will choose for Beck. Andre will choose for Tori. Tori will choose for Jade. Jade, you'll choose for Andre," he fired out quickly. Whoa.

"I think that deserves some applause," he said, and we agreed, so we clapped for him while he bowed gratefully.

"We'll meet in The Black Box Theater after school to hear who's playing what," he instructed.

"Hey Tori, maybe you should play a woman who loves to make out with two foot tall guys who happen to be me," Rex suggested, laughing. I stood there, grossed out at first and irritated with the puppet, but then an idea came to me. I turned away from him, placed my hands on either side of Jade's face, and pulled her into a kiss I made sure lasted a few seconds. She went rigid under my hands, unresponsive. When I pulled away she stared at me with wide eyes. The others and even Sikowitz had a mix of impressed and shocked expressions on their faces.

"No, I don't think so," I remarked idly to Rex, like I hadn't just kissed Jade. She was still standing there, expression conflicted. Rex's mouth hung open and he shook slightly.

"Rex?" Robbie managed to ask.

"Take me home," Rex whined. I watched, satisfied, as Robbie rushed from the classroom. I turned back to Jade only to see her finally thaw, anger on her face. Oh chiz, I **kissed** Jade! What was I thinking?! Well, I wasn't thinking. I just wanted something that would shock Rex, or Robbie, so badly that he would lay off hitting on me. I guess it worked.

"Vega," Jade growled, reminding me of the danger I was in. I smiled and then ran for it, hearing her take off after me. I lost myself in the crowd of students then ran for a random hallway, disappearing into the nearest restroom. Only after I was in there a few minutes did I notice it was the boy's restroom. I blushed and ran out before anyone could find me in there. I had to be careful. Jade was bound to jump me at any point today. I just had to last until we all met up at the Black Box Theater where I would hopefully get to explain. That is, if I live that long.

**~Jade~**

After trying to catch Vega all through lunch and eventually losing track of her, I gave up. For now. I would get to her sooner or later. We had to meet up after school anyway. She had better have a good explanation too. I went to my next class, trying to pay attention, but I failed. After coming up with the strangest character I could on such short notice, my thoughts turned back to those few seconds when Vega's lips were on mine. I hadn't expected it so I wasn't ready for it. She caught me off guard and I couldn't really be mad at her for it. It wasn't long, but it was a glimpse into what could be if I just told her how I felt. Ugh, no. I couldn't. Not yet at least. Why did she even kiss me in the first place? Did she feel the same way or was it just to stop Robbie from making Rex hit on her? Because she couldn't really like me, could she? I had to stop thinking about it. When class was over I walked the halls, keeping an eye out for Vega. I didn't see her anywhere but I did run into Beck who wordlessly accompanied me to my locker. I had to grab a book for my next class. He didn't say anything until I had my locker open.

"So…" he started, leaving it open.

"So?" I replied, unwilling to talk about it just yet. He chuckled and nudged me.

"You seem so shy now," he joked. I huffed out a breath and shot a glare on him.

"I'm not shy, I'm angry," I corrected him.

"Why? I thought you would have wanted that," he said.

"Yeah, but not like that! Besides, I'm angrier at the fact that she made a move before I did," I admitted, slamming my locker. He smiled, amused.

"What will you do when we meet up in the Black Box Theater after school?" he asked. I shrugged.

"I won't say anything. I'll let it go. I'm not ready to tell her…anything, just yet. Maybe I'll get back at her by making her think that I have something planned," I pondered. He rolled his eyes.

"Ok. Whatever you think you should do," he said.

"What are you trying to say?" I demanded.

"Nothing," he replied. I tried to make him talk but he avoided me. What a pain. We playfully argued on the way to our next class. I pushed Vega out of my head and concentrated on each lesson I attended. It was better that way. When the end of the day arrived I walked with Beck to the Black Box Theater. Vega had just taken a seat when we entered. I glanced at her to see that she was already looking at me. She was biting at her lip and nervously wringing her hands. I glared, solidifying her fear of me possibly getting back at her. I made sure to sit next to her. We all settled in, Robbie on my left and Vega on my right. She was instantly fidgety as soon as I sat down. Andre was on her right and Cat was next to him at the other end of the row. We looked to Sikowitz who was seated on a set of movable stairs that was usually kept backstage.

"Everyone accounted for? Good. Let us begin, shall we?" he said, looking around the room to make sure we were all present and accounted for.

"Ok, Beck. What character will Cat be playing at the great Sikowitz sleepover?" he inquired, gesturing for him to step up. Beck moved to stand in front of us, holding a paper in his hands.

"Cat will play a nineteen eighties stand-up comedian who's very annoying," he explained. Cat nodded along, thoughtful. What made him come up with that? Cat would definitely be able to pull that off, regardless.

"I want to be a unicorn," Cat requested.

"You can't," Beck told her.

"Phooey," she pouted.

"Now Cat, who will Robbie be playing?" Sikowitz asked her. She stood to go up while Beck took her seat. She held a notepad in her hand, waving it around as she spoke.

"Well, I've decided Robbie's role should be a motivational speaker…" she began.

"Oh, I could do that," Robbie agreed. I turned to him, glaring and shutting him up so Cat could finish.

"…who just drank some weird beverage that makes his legs weak and wobbly," she continued, laughing like she was a genius. Only Cat could come up with that. Robbie didn't look too sure now.

"Ok, so uh, I'm a motivational speaker with…jelly legs," he simplified.

"Yeah, I'm creative," Cat mumbled, walking over to take his seat so he could go up.

"Wonderful. Robbie, tell us the character you have chosen for Beck," Sikowitz said.

"Sure. One sec," Robbie replied, holding up his abnormally large Pear Pad. I hated that thing. It wasn't practical and annoyed the chiz out of me when Robbie wasted everyone's time on it. Just like he was doing now. Beck shook his head, Andre sat back, Vega's brows creased, and Cat giggled. Figures.

"Ok, Beck will be playing a guy from England whose accent is really hard to understand and he's always invading people's personal space," Robbie shared, showing us his notes on the huge screen. I looked to Beck with a raised brow. He smiled then leaned over to Andre.

"No problem," he said in a thick English accent. Andre raised a brow at his antics. Well, like most acting exercises, Beck already got it down.

"Andre, what have you got in store for Toro," Sikowitz called up next. Andre stood and Robbie took his seat. Vega frowned at Sikowitz.

"Did you just call me Toro?" she questioned.

"Maybe," Sikowitz admitted.

"It's Tor**i**," she corrected.

"I know. But I do love that fatty tuna," Sikowitz responded.

"Should I be offended?" Vega asked Robbie, expression mirroring her words. He was at a loss for words.

"Ok, Tori's character will be a cop who wears way too much red lipstick and is obsessed with Raisin Bran," Andre stated with a wide smile, reading off the scrap of paper in his hand. What the heck?

"How'd you come up with that?" Vega inquired, amused but curious.

"Well, see, I had this dream last night and this lady cop was all like- she was all like- and I was like- I just thought of it," he tried explaining, laughing nervously until he dismissed it. Okay…strange. Vega looked lost. To be honest, so was I. Except I was seriously questioning the kinds of dreams Andre was having.

"Ok, Tori. Tell us what Jade will be," Sikowitz said, calling her up. She stood to stand in front and Andre sat down in her seat.

"Love to," she said in an overly happy tone, raising her phone. I scowled at her, trying to scare her out of her latest stupid idea. I swear, if she did anything to wazz me off I was going to-

"Jade will be an innocent farm girl from Alabama whose always super sweet and nice and never gets upset about anything," she read, smiling at me through the whole explanation. Touche, Vega. But not too challenging. I could do it, but I wasn't going to like it.

"I'd rather slam my tongue in a car door," I responded, making sure I exude indifference. I couldn't let her get to me, or let her know that she did.

"Now tell us who Andre will be playing," Sikowitz said after a nod at my comment. I stood with a groan and pushed past Vega.

"Fine," I griped, walking over to stand up front.

"You're gonna be a guy who's just finished running a marathon…" I began.

"Ok," Andre accepted, confident.

"…who also happens to be nine months pregnant," I finished, looking up from the notebook I held in my hands. Vega tilted her head, questioning my choice. Andre looked pensive.

"Who's the daddy?" he finally asked. I smirked.

"It's more interesting not knowing," I responded. His brows came together in thought but he nodded acceptance.

"Ok, now that we have our zany cast of characters, go home and prepare. You must be ready by Friday with no excuses," Sikowitz announced, standing to wave us out. Vega quickly stuck to Andre's side and started up a conversation, only once looking back at me. It looked like she was chickening out of explaining what the chiz was going through her head hours ago. I would let her go…for now. Beck stepped up to offer me his arm.

"My lady," he said in the quickly mastered English accent.

"Can't wait?" I questioned, refusing his offer and briskly striding past him. He rushed to catch up.

"It sounds fun, don't you think?" he replied.

"No," I answered, brusque. I glared at Vega ahead of us. He looked at her too.

"Seems she got you on the defensive twice in one day," he remarked. I shot him a look. He raised his hands defensively.

"Hey, don't get mad at me," he said.

"You're right," I agreed, speeding up.

"Hey, hold on," he tried to say, but I already outstripped him.

"Vega, we have unfinished business!" I threatened, pulling out my scissors. She looked back at me, and then with a yelp, she took off running. I laughed. It was too easy.

**~Tori~**

The few days leading up to the sleepover was nerve-wracking. Not only was I trying to get my character's voice and personality down, I was also trying to figure out what Jade had planned to get revenge on me for my little stunt. Right when I felt my life might be in danger she backed off. I couldn't tell when it was coming and that made it so much worse. I wished she would just get it over with. If she didn't the suspense would probably kill me anyway.

"Hey," a voice greeted, making me scream and almost fall over again. Andre laughed and leaned on the lockers next to mine. It was only Andre. Not Jade. Good.

"What's got you so skittish?" he questioned.

"Nothing," I told him, maybe a bit overly positive. He raised a brow and crossed his arms.

"Does this have anything to do with Jade?" he asked next.

"Jade? No. Why would this have anything to do with her?" I replied nervously, shutting my locker. He continued to stare at me and I groaned.

"Is it that obvious?" I wondered. He smiled, standing up straight and uncrossing his arms.

"To me it is, but that's just 'cause I know what to look for. Talk to me," he encouraged. I glanced around and then leaned closer to him.

"I seriously think Jade is planning to get back at me," I confided.

"For what?" he asked.

"The…you know," I muttered, looking away. He chuckled.

"Oh, you mean the kiss," he mentioned.

"Shh!" I spat, waving my hands.

"Tor, we were all there. We saw it. We saw why you did it. What's got you so worried? I mean, it wasn't like you wanted to," he commented in an offhand manner. I stared at him meaningfully, waiting for him to understand on his own. I couldn't put it into words, the way I felt for Jade. I couldn't ignore it anymore. Not after I voluntarily kissed her and hid it under false circumstances. His smile remained, unaware, but then it slowly faded. His head canted and then his eyes widened in realization.

"You…?" he sputtered. I nodded.

"Oh chiz…" he mumbled.

"Yeah," I sighed.

"What now?" he inquired. I shrugged.

"I don't know! Ignore it, I guess. It isn't like I can do anything about it," I replied, throwing up my hands. I groaned and covered my face.

"Do you think she figured it out?" I wondered.

"Hmm, well, no. You aren't really open about it. Unless you count all the staring," he pointed out. Oh, that.

"Staring?" I repeated, blushing.

"Yeah. You kinda do that a lot. I didn't really think much of it before. But now…" he contemplated.

"She's noticed that before! Oh my gosh, Andre, what am I going to do? Do you think Beck knows?" I asked, worried. Andre pulled me into a one-arm hug.

"Well, there was this one time when you and Jade were busy fighting over something or other. He said you guys fought so much but he could tell you didn't mean it. I jokingly suggested that it was because you liked each other. I immediately took it back, because I didn't want to imply anything, but Beck just laughed and said that it was possible. I clearly didn't think so, but he did, and he seemed cool with it," he explained. I gave him a look of disbelief.

"Weird, I know," he acknowledged.

"Yeah. Why would he be ok with it?" I pondered.

"Because he isn't Jade," he responded, joking. I nodded and laughed.

"True," I agreed. And just like that, the subject was dropped. It was so easy talking to Andre.

"I have some things to think about. See you at Sikowitz's tomorrow," I said, leaving to catch Trina before I was left behind again.

"Catch you later, chica," he said in farewell. Great, now I was worrying over the acting challenge, Jade's revenge, **and** my feelings being known by someone other than me. It just kept getting better and better. At home I busied myself with finding the perfect shade of red. I didn't really wear lipstick so I borrowed one from mom. Dad let me borrow an old uniform from when he was younger. That left the Raisin Bran, which mom picked up for me. There. All set. One less thing to worry about.

* * *

Got cop costume + red lips…going

to SIKOWITZ'S HOUSE! YES!

Feeling: Creative

* * *

Trina dropped me off after a brief argument. She wanted to go out but was forced to take me to Sikowitz's when mom overheard us. I got out of the car and she sped away as soon as the door shut. I rolled my eyes and walked up to the front door with the box of Raisin Bran under one arm. I shoved a handful in my mouth and then rang the doorbell. Ok, in character. I have to stay in character no matter what. I couldn't break.

"Well, I wonder who would be arriving first," I heard Sikowitz say from behind the door right before it opened. I ate another handful of the cereal.

"Well, hello there," Sikowitz greeted.

"I am a police officer. Would you like some Raisin Bran?" I stated in my perfected accent I chose for my character.

"No thank you, but please, come in," he welcomed me. I was right on time and the first one to show up by the look of it.

"Yeah, sure," I accepted as I stepped inside. He shut the door.

"And your name is?" he questioned.

"Officer Pedesko. Do you have anything sharp and/or pointy in your pockets that could injure me?" I recited, eating more of the dry cereal. Geez, I hope I didn't get a stomach ache after this.

"I certainly hope not," Sikowitz replied. A chime went off at that moment.

"Doorbell!" I cried out unnecessarily.

"I'll answer it," he said, turning to open the door.

"Ok," I responded, moving further into the house. It certainly looked like a place Sikowitz would live in. It was so busy and filled with the most random things, but somehow it worked.

"Ah, good evening. Come in," Sikowitz greeted. I turned to see Robbie in simple yet formal attire and Andre in a runner's uniform. Andre thanked him, breathing heavily and rubbing his large belly as he walked in. Robbie stepped in after him and Sikowitz shut the door.

"Yes, thanks for welcoming us into your fine home. But don't forget to thank yourself, because if you just believe in yourself there's nothing that you can't do!" Robbie stated, movements erratic and voice gruff. Sikowitz seemed to be watching every move he made. I was sure he was waiting for any one of us to break character. He nodded but said nothing in response to Robbie's little speech.

"Hey. I'm pregnant and I just ran twenty-six miles. Can I please get some water?" Andre spoke up, panting.

"Of course, it's right over there," Sikowitz offered, holding out a hand palm up in the right direction. Andre slowly made his way over and Sikowitz turned to Robbie who was fiddling with something.

"Uh, I didn't catch your name," he said.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I was just admiring your fine animal statuettes," Robbie replied, pointing to them before offering a hand to shake.

"I'm Kevin Cornbloom, motivational speaker. I've devoted my life to helping teens-oh, there go the legs!" he began to introduce himself but was interrupted when his legs wobbled and he tumbled to the floor.

"Are you all right?" Sikowitz asked.

"I'm right as rain. Thank you for asking," Robbie responded from the floor. I ran over, pulling out my radio.

"Car twenty-one, we got a man down. Caucasian male, glasses, afro, possibly Jewish. Can I offer you some Raisin Bran?" I said after speaking into the radio. I presented the box to him as he pulled himself up.

"No, thank you, officer," he said with a wave of his hand. I shrugged and turned away, eating another handful.

"I'm so tired, and pregnant. I gotta sit down," Andre spoke up, rubbing his belly.

"Please, take any seat," Sikowitz said from the kitchen where he was checking on the food he had made.

"Thanks," Andre gasped, groaning as he walked over to sit down.

"Yes! Just believe in your dreams and you can sit in any chair. Anywhere," Robbie encouraged, gesturing to the row of red chairs.

"Yeah, ok," Andre said, uncertain. The chime sounded again.

"Doorbell!" I yelled.

"I'll get it!" Sikowitz shouted, running for it. He pulled open the door to reveal Cat. She looked just like a comedian from the eighties with her pink outfit and hair teased up high.

"What I wanna know is what part of the chicken do the nuggets come from?" she questioned the room at large, changing her voice dramatically and speaking into the microphone she carried. The small speaker at her hip magnified her voice, making it echo a bit. I glanced at her, brows creased.

"Can someone tell me this, please? Where's the wacky farm that raises nugget chickens?" Cat continued.

"Hilarious observations. Please, come in," Sikowitz said with a sweep of his hand. Cat walked in, heading towards me.

"And don't get me started on airplane food," she said.

"I noticed that you are a stand-up comedienne," I stated, chewing on more cereal.

"Where's the beef?" Cat questioned.

"I am a police officer. Would you like to join me in a handful of Raisin Bran?" I responded, stuffing my mouth again.

"What's the deal with Raisin Bran? Is it raisins? Is it bran? I want to know!" Cat replied. Andre looked to us and then groaned, dabbing at his forehead with the hand towel he carried. Robbie suddenly stepped between us.

"Ladies, please. It's not about the raisins **or** the bran. It's about the future and living your dreams. And- oh, there go the legs!" he lectured, falling to floor again.

"I…I think I'm going to have a baby! Why did I just run that marathon?" Andre cried out from his seat in a circular chair by the window, rubbing his belly and wiping at his face. Cat and I exchanged a look. Then the doorbell rang.

"You all mingle. I'll get the door," Sikowitz said, rushing to get it while the doorbell kept going off. I had a feeling I knew who it was if the person on the other side was that impatient.

"Well, hello. I don't believe we've met. You are?" Sikowitz asked when he opened the door to admit Beck. I caught a glimpse of Jade and my breath caught. This would be the first time being close to each other since the Black Box. When Beck walked in to shake Sikowitz's hand Jade wandered in too. What in the world was she wearing?! It was definitely a cowgirl get-up, but it was so…revealing. A short top and short shorts, leaving most of her pale skin bare.

"Oh, yes. My name's Malcolm Winchester Fizzenworth. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. It's a lovely home you have here. Let's step over in that direction. That way there. Very good, then," Beck babbled. He looked all proper in a brown striped suit. He was pretty good at that cockney accent. He quickly turned the handshake into spinning Sikowitz around and practically using him like a puppet.

"Sure," Sikowitz mumbled, unable to get away as he was walked forward. Jade remained quiet, idly looking around and then wandering further into the house. I heard Beck talking but my eyes and most of my attention was on her. I shoved cereal in my mouth and then decided to say something. I had to see how well Jade played her role.

"Hey! You!" I called out, facing her. She played up surprise and laughed lightly.

"Why, hello, officer. Isn't this just a lovely shindig?" she questioned in a southern drawl. Whoa, that was different. But I kept up my own appearance. Hm, let's see how good of an actress she is when she was agitated.

"I can see your belly button," I pointed out. She glanced down and then back at me, pasting on a fake but convincing enough smile.

"Why, yes, that is my belly button," she responded brightly, hands on her hips.

"Have you ever considered filling it with Raisin Bran?" I inquired, holding up the box I was sure I was halfway done with by now.

"Well, no. My name is Betty Sue Goldenhorn. I live on a farm in Alabama. Just north of a little-" she began to say, but I cut her off with a handful of the flaky cereal. I made sure to shove the whole handful in her mouth. She sputtered, eyes blazing behind the happy expression she was struggling to maintain.

"Now you're eating Raisin Bran," I stated, smiling.

"Mmm, I just love eating cereal that's been manhandled by your filthy hands!" she forced out cheerfully while I ate more. I smirked and walked away, knowing I got to her. She held up though. I saw Sikowitz giving us an approving smile. He was standing off to the side. Beck was by the window and Andre was still reclined in the chair he was in before. Robbie and Cat were sitting in the red chairs.

"Uh oh! I spy a fly with my little thigh," Sikowitz announced, pointing at the buzzing insect before running to get a fly swatter.

"Thigh?" I questioned, confused. Sikowitz pulled it from the refrigerator and brandished it. Ew, with the food? Really?

"Come here, you winged nuisance!" he exclaimed. He swiped at the air and ran forward.

"Where'd it go?" he asked.

"Well, I believe the fly in question went this way and then that way and then over there and then roundabout and every way except that way and over yonder," Beck answered, walking over to spin him as he talked, ending with a casual arm draped over Sikowitz. Afterwards he started playing with his beard. If I could, I would have laughed at the look on our teacher's face. Suddenly, the fly flew by.

"There it is!" I shouted, pointing it out.

"Come here! Time to die!" Sikowitz shouted, lunging at it. He hit the window, shattering it, and almost fell out. We all jumped.

"Sikowitz!" Robbie exclaimed, jumping up to help him.

"Are you ok?" he questioned, frantic.

"Who…who's there?" Sikowitz mumbled, disoriented.

"I-it's Robbie-" he began, but Sikowitz imitated a buzzer.

"You broke character. You're out!" Sikowitz told him, jabbing at the door with the fly swatter.

"You tricked me!" Robbie accused.

"Precisely. Now go home," he dismissed. Robbie made a noise of defeat and turned to leave when Jade ran up to grab him by the arms.

"It was so wonderful to meet you," she said, sounding as sincere as she could.

"Take care of yourself, mate. You seem like an effervescent bloke, you do," Beck said next, walking up to pick and prod and mess with Robbie's glasses.

"Beck, stop it!" Robbie yelled, fending him off.

"At least you're not pregnant and exhausted from running a marathon," Andre spoke up. Jade leaned down and rubbed at his shoulders comfortingly. I had never seen her so touchy with anyone but Beck, but here she was. Robbie reached the door where I was standing. He opened it and was about to leave but he turned back around. I looked at his sad puppy dog face then down at the hand he held out. I took it and filled it with Raisin Bran, nodding for him to leave. He ate the handful and left.

"Enjoy the Raisin Bran!" I shouted after him, shutting the door. I smiled and ate another handful. Ugh, I might just never eat this stuff again. I was sure if I finished the box I was going to hurl.

**~Jade~**

I wandered Sikowitz's weird yet interesting home, wondering what to do to pass the time now. It's been hours now since everyone arrived. We talked and played games. Sikowitz offered snacks. The whole time was spent in our characters. From where I stood I watched Beck thoroughly inspect Cat's face and Vega ate more cereal. When no one was looking she let her supposedly tough cop expression fall to be replaced with an unhappy frown. She didn't look too good. Maybe she was going to chuck all that cereal she had been eating.

"Nine twenty-six pm. So far only Robbie Shapiro has broken character and was promptly banished. That leaves five of my students still in character," Sikowitz recorded.

"Why don't they make the plane out of the same stuff they make the black box out of? Um, helloooo?" Cat said into the microphone. I fought from rolling my eyes.

"That was quite an amusing commentary," Vega remarked. I glanced at her. We would see who the better actress was. I knew she had been trying to make me break character since I showed up, but she wasn't going to get anywhere that way. Although, I was surprised she lasted this long. She wasn't too bad.

"I'll need to see your license and registration," she asked of Beck. He set down the statue he was looking at and turned to her.

"Oh, sorry there constable. I don't own a motorcar and therefore have no such documents in me trouser pockets," Beck answered, hooking an arm around Vega and holding a hand to her face. I couldn't stop the forced smile on my face from dropping, but I quickly built it back up. Sikowitz was still actively observing us.

"Why don't you stop invading my personal space and have a little of this Raisin Bran?" Vega questioned, shoving the box between them. Clearly she didn't want him so close. That alone should mean something, but I ignored it in favor of my rising agitation.

"I'm game. So why don't you pop a dabble in me mouth," Beck agreed. Vega grabbed an extra-large scoop and tried to fit all of it in his mouth at once. I couldn't tell if she was getting back at him for being handsy or if she was just trying to get rid of some of the cereal. After all, the more she gave to others the less she had to eat herself. Anyway, it was time to make myself known.

"Well!" I shouted, striding over. They both jumped and turned to me.

"Aren't you two having a fun time eating Raisin Bran together?" I stated, trying very hard to keep my voice level and my smile on. Beck mumbled something, mouth still too full to be clear.

"Just be careful now, Mr. British man. 'Cause who knows what terrible things might happen to you if that continues," I subtly threatened, stalking closer to them. I stopped by Vega. Beck finally swallowed the last of the cereal and shook his head, eyes conveying that he didn't mean it. Vega stood frozen in place before exchanging a look with Beck. At the same time they went their separate ways. I stepped up to the kitchen area and saw Sikowitz smiling in entertainment behind the counter, sipping at a coconut. That wasn't really any different than how he was in class. A phone rang and I looked over to see that it was Andre's. He set down his towel and slipped the phone out of his shirt.

"Hello…I'm sorry, this isn't Andre. I'm a pregnant marathon runner…Oh, my goodness. I think I'm going to have a baby! Oh, why did I run that marathon while I was pregnant?" he said, rubbing at his stomach. What sounded like Andre's grandmother was barely heard screaming over the phone. I bet that woman was crazy enough to come get Andre herself. My eyes went to the dude who just walked out from the hallway. A whistle blew and my eyes flicked to Vega.

"Who is that handsome young man over there?" she demanded to know. The dude smiled and I fought off another frown.

"This is my nephew Jason. He's staying with me while his parents are in Bangkok," Sikowitz explained.

"Does he have a girlfriend? Because as a police officer, I need to know that information," Vega said next, walking over to him. My hands tightened into fists.

"No, I'm not dating anyone," Jason replied, eyes scanning her. I took a step forward but stopped myself. I caught Beck's eyes and he shook his head. Again I listened with just that. I listened, but I didn't like it.

"Oh, then we have much to discuss," Vega told him, tapping at his chest with her baton. Look at that dumb expression on his face. Already smitten. It was probably the only attention he got from a girl. I dropped my gaze to the floor.

"Where are you headed?" Sikowitz asked him.

"I'm going with some guys to see the Wall Dogs play at the Moxy," Jason answered. Cat gasped and ran over to him.

"I'll go with you to see the Wall Dogs play at the Moxy. I'll go right now," she rambled in her own voice, the words flying out of her mouth in her excitement. Jason turned to her. I felt a bit more at ease now that his attention was on someone else. Sikowitz made the buzzer sound and walked to the door.

"Cat, you just broke character," he stated, opening the door.

"Yay! Bye, everyone. I'll be at the Moxy," Cat said, comfortably leaning into Jason who threw an arm over her shoulder. Together, they left. Good riddance.

"And to think I was going to let that boy eat my Raisin Bran," Vega said. I didn't know I was staring at her until she was raising an interested brow at me. I quickly slapped on the stupid required smile and looked away. I needed something to distract me. When Sikowitz called out another game, I joined in. Only to make the time pass faster. But hours later full of games I was about ready to sleep the time away. My face was killing me from smiling so much and the others were starting to look tired too. Vega was eating cereal one flake at a time where she sat sprawled out on one of the red chairs.

"Eleven fourteen pm. Only four of my students remain in character. I have prepared some piping-hot quesadillas from a recipe I got from Crispin Glover back when we…well-" Sikowitz recorded. He stopped when there was banging at the door. I moved away from it and sat next to Vega. With a look at her I shoved my hand in the cereal box and scooped some out. She was almost at the bottom now. She gave me a look but said nothing. I kept my eyes off her, picking at the cereal in my hand before shoving it all in my mouth. We watched Sikowitz open the door. Andre's grandmother stood on the other side but she yelled something and ran away screaming as soon as she saw Sikowitz.

"Who's at the door?" Vega questioned, standing and hitching up her belt. She looked authoritative enough, I guess.

"I'm not sure. She was-" Sikowitz tried to answer, but Andre's grandmother was back and demanding to see Andre. Sikowitz stammered to explain, backing away with each response from Andre's very loud grandmother. He tried turning her away but she shoved him aside when she spotted Andre coming out from the bathroom. Beck took a turn trying to stop her but she quickly shoved him away too. She sure was on a mission. I ate more Raisin Bran, entertained with the turn of events. It wasn't popcorn, but it would do.

"Andre! Why did you play games with me over the telephone?" Andre's grandmother demanded.

"Uh, ma'am, I'm not Andre. I'm a marathon runner who also happens to be really-" Andre tried to explain, but then she pointed at his stomach.

"Oh my god, who did that?" she questioned, freaked out. Andre sighed then began to whisper something to her. I stopped listening, turning to Vega who had put her hand in the box just as I had. She gave me a determined look, refusing to pull away, so I slowly ran my fingers over her hand. She jumped and dropped the handful she was trying to get, pulling her hand out of the box.

"Assaulting an officer gets you jail time," Vega told me, holding her hand like I had hurt her.

"I meant no harm. Honest," I responded. She narrowed her eyes at me and I smiled. Sikowitz's buzzer sound made us both look to him.

"Andre, you broke character," he stated. Andre defended himself up until his grandmother physically dragged him out of the house. By the sounds of things he was in trouble. He slammed the door on his way out and Sikowitz took out the recorder again.

"We're down to three," he spoke into it.

"I am infatuated with Raisin Bran," Vega announced, eating more. Most of it spilled down the front of her uniform. She was getting sloppy. Probably because she didn't want to eat anymore. I had to give her credit for eating most of the box. I helped out a bit and she got some of the others to eat some, but for the most part she ate a whole box of the stuff.

"I'm feeling a wee bit hungry meself," Beck commented, sitting down on the other side of Vega.

"Uh, sweet farm girl, would you mind getting that tray of quesadillas from the kitchen?" Sikowitz asked. I twisted around to look at him with a charming smile.

"Why, I wouldn't mind at all! It's just that, our dear officer here isn't looking too good. I thought I would stay here and help her feel better. Could you get them for me, Mr. British man?" I answered, smiling brightly at Beck while I grabbed Vega's hand in mine. He smiled in return. Vega looked momentarily confused before going along with it, tipping her hat at me in thanks.

"Sure. No problem," Beck agreed, standing up. He left to the kitchen and I returned my attention to Vega. Our eyes met and I smiled, meaning it a bit more than I planned to. She looked ridiculous with all that lipstick and the accent she decided on, but I was just as attracted to her. Leave it to dorky Vega to do something like that. I rubbed at her hand and then tilted the box toward me, silently telling her to lay off the cereal. She smiled sheepishly but quickly replaced it with a stern expression.

"Oh, wait. That tray just-" Sikowitz warned, but a yell from Beck and a clatter of the tray made me and Vega turn around.

"...the…oven," Sikowitz finished, late.

"That tray was a tad bit hotter than I anticipated. Left me skin in blisters," Beck forced out, holding up his hand. Even through the pain he remained in character.

"Beck, perhaps I should drive you-" Sikowitz offered, but Beck shook his head and slapped Sikowitz's back on his way to the door.

"Nah, I got this mate," he declined. He pulled open the door and walked out quickly. Sikowitz stood in the doorway, watching him walk away.

"And yet, he never broke character," he remarked. He shut the door and turned to us, serious.

"So…who wants quesadillas?" he questioned excitedly. Vega and I exchanged looks and then agreed, abandoning the box of cereal. Anything was better than eating more of that.

**~Tori~**

* * *

I am a POLICE OFFICER with

VERY RED LIPS

and I LOVE RAISIN BRAN!

Feeling: Munchy

* * *

It felt so good to eat something other than that horrible cereal. I knew I was supposed to obsessively love the stuff, but it was just too much. Even with some help, yes, even Jade's help, I still ate most of it. No more, ever, after today. Never do I want to see a box of it. I sighed and sat back in the chair. Sikowitz was sitting between Jade and I. She was rambling about two horses she owned back at the farm, doing a great job of making them sound as real as could be. She described how they looked and how she got them. She even had names for them. The female was Jessipa and the male was Bodhi. And all I could do was sit around wondering what else I could say to prove I was still very much in character. Sikowitz wasn't providing any feedback. In fact, he looked tired.

"Uh, kids…it's getting late," he grumbled.

"Oh, but I haven't got to tell you about the time a fox snuck into the chicken coop," Jade said. I frowned, still wondering what to say, and found myself finishing off the cereal. I didn't know whether I should be happy or sad about that.

"This method acting exercise is becoming tedious," Sikowitz told us.

"Raisin Bran was invented by Kevin McRaisinburg and Jack McBran," I shared.

"I beg you to go home," Sikowitz pleaded. Not until Jade went first. Sorry Sikowitz. I also couldn't risk this being just another trick.

"You remind me of this goat we had. He was some fun until he got tired of you and ate your shirt," Jade commented. Sikowitz pulled out his recorder.

"I can't take it anymore. All right!" he yelled into it, pushing himself up. He let out a yell of frustration and hopped around in place. Jade and I just watched him.

"Since it's obvious neither one of you are going to be breaking character any time soon, and I can't stand being here with either one of you anymore…I'm going to bed. You can help yourself to anything in the refrigerator, but please, do not look in the cabinet under the sink in my bathroom. Please!" Sikowitz specifically said. Why? What was in there? Did I want to know? Jade kept up her smile and only tilted her head questioningly. I just knew she was curious.

"Good night," Sikowitz said in farewell, shuffling away. As soon as he was gone Jade turned to me.

"If you'll be so kind as to lend me your shoulder, officer. I'm feeling a bit tuckered out myself. We have a long night ahead of us," Jade requested. I didn't understand what she was asking at first and could only stare at her. But then she removed her hat, setting it down on the grassy table, and then stared at me expectantly with that smile I was sure had to be painful to hold up at this point.

"Uh, yeah. Sure," I grunted uncertainly, slumping further in the chair and placing my hat over my face. I heard movement and then felt weight on my shoulder. I didn't know why she asked or why I accepted, but the second I felt her relax, I relaxed too. Sleep didn't take long to come after that. The next morning I woke up yawning. I rubbed at my eyes and my hat fell off the back of the chair. The sound of it hitting the floor woke up Jade. She sat up and ran a hand through her hair before stretching. I might be half asleep, but the sight of the muscles flexing in her bare torso was too much to handle this early in the day. She took one look at me and scowled.

"What?" she barked, sleep making her voice rough. That was unexpected, but I found that I liked it. Besides that, I suddenly realized something else.

"Ha! You broke character! You lost! I am a police officer, and I am victorious!" I shouted as I jumped from my seat, maintaining my accent and throwing up my arms triumphantly. The small smile on Jade's face wasn't much, but I could tell it was sincere. She didn't look upset at losing.

"This is Officer Pedesko! Code three!" I yelled excitedly in the radio, making siren noises and moving my hand in a circle over my head.

"Ok, knock it off, you dork," Jade said, pulling me back down in my seat next to her. I laughed.

"You only won 'cause I'm seriously not a morning person," she grumbled, arms crossed.

"I still won," I sing-songed, dropping the accent. She rolled her eyes.

"I need a coffee," she groaned.

"Maybe Sikowitz has some?" I suggested.

"How about you buy me coffee," she ordered. As rude as it was, it didn't sound like she was being mean.

"Strange," I muttered, pretending to be deep in thought.

"What is?" she asked.

"You only ever demand things of Beck in that tone," I told her, studying her face for any reaction.

"What tone?" she questioned, brows furrowing.

"To anyone else you sound just as demanding as you usually do, but it's the way you said it. I can hear that your intentions aren't to be mean, you're just being yourself. It's like your own form of…affection," I tried to explain, smiling when her brows creased with slight worry. She avoided my gaze and looked to the floor. I let her, staying quiet. Eventually, she looked up and locked me in a firm stare. It was calculating and studious, penetrating. It caught me off guard.

"Why did you kiss me?" she questioned abruptly. I ripped my eyes away from her analyzing stare and clasped my hands in my lap.

"To shut Rex up," I finally answered after some silence. She scoffed.

"Might as well kiss the puppet to shut him up. So why me?" she commented. Yeah, I could have done that. But I needed an excuse. I wanted an excuse to see how it felt. I chanced a glance at Jade to see that she wasn't mad. She just looked like she wanted to understand. There was a softness to her expression with only a hint of frustration. She reached out and made me look at her, fingers on my chin. Her touch made me take in a sharp breath. She was so close. She waited patiently for my reply so I gathered as much courage as I could.

"I…I wanted-" I began, but I was cut off by pounding footsteps. Jade quickly let me go and put space between us. I looked to the cause of the commotion. Sikowitz came barreling into the room, looking panicked.

"No one looked in the cabinet underneath the sink in the bathroom, did they?" he inquired. Jade and I shook our heads. He sighed.

"Whew. Well, good morning. Who managed to win?" he asked next, calm.

"I did!" I declared, jumping from my seat proudly, the previous events pushed to the back of my mind for now.

"Excellent!" Sikowitz said, congratulating me. He patted my shoulder and Jade stood after picking up her hat.

"Now, if you can kindly go home I would very much appreciate it," he told us. I nodded and looked to Jade just as she threw my hat at me. I barely caught it in time. I glared at her but she only shrugged and put on her own hat. She then hooked her thumbs in the waistband of her shorts and smirked.

"We'll get out of your hair. Come on, Vega," she said with a nod at the door, turning to leave a moment later. Something told me I wouldn't have to make Trina get me. I replaced my hat and waved at Sikowitz who waved back with a knowing smile. It made my own falter, wondering what it meant, but then Jade's slender fingers were around my wrist. I had slowed down so she grabbed me in order to drag me out the door faster. Once we were outside I easily matched Jade's pace. Without a word she unlocked her car and got in. I slipped in too, and while she started up the car, I decided to get Jade that coffee she wanted.

* * *

**And that wraps up the end of season one.**


	20. Beggin' On Your Knees

**It's been a long time, I know. I haven't felt much like writing so hopefully this wasn't affected. I missed working on it though, which is what got me to update it. Enjoy!**

* * *

**~Tori~**

Harmonizing with a group was so fun. It felt amazing to have my voice added to many others. It seemed to flow so perfectly. Unless Robbie was singing along. Oh boy, he really needed to practice. My face scrunched and so did our teacher's when Robbie wavered on the last note. The song we were practicing ended along with our teacher's patience. It wasn't the first time Robbie agitated him. It probably wouldn't be the last either.

"Hold up, hold up. Someone was off key," he announced.

"Yeah. Who was it?" I added, knowing very well who.

"Two hints. Robbie and Shapiro," Rex helpfully answered.

"My singing was not off," Robbie denied.

"Man, your whole life is off," Rex retorted.

"Well, I think, maybe…Tori was off key," Robbie stammered, looking at me.

"Well!" I responded, offended he would stoop so low as to blame me. Robbie shrugged.

"Tori wasn't off," Ryder spoke up from where he sat next to Robbie.

"You were perfect. Really nice tone," Ryder told me. I smiled, accepting the compliment.

"Handsome boy thinks I was perfect," I said to Robbie. Just then the bell rang. Everyone stood but our teacher stopped us.

"Not so fast," he said, causing the whole class to groan.

"Let's talk about your homework assignment," he continued.

"For the Full Moon Jam?" Rex questioned.

"Mhm, you all have to do a song and your performance will count as one third of your semester grade," he stated.

"Do we have to sing a solo?" Ryder questioned.

"It can be a solo or you can pair up with someone in this class and sing a duet," he replied.

"**Just** solos and duets," he emphasized.

"What about us?" the four guys in the back asked, singing it as usual.

"No! No quartets," our teacher sharply replied. They sung their disappointment and left with the rest of the class. I walked over to retrieve my bag.

"So Tori, what should we sing together?" Robbie called to me as he walked over. I turned to face him, but before I could respond, another classmate jumped in.

"I call Tori!" she shouted.

"I already called Tori," Robbie whined. And just like that everyone was arguing. Wow. I didn't think this would happen again after the last time. As good as it felt to know everyone wanted me as a partner I had to stop all the bickering.

"Hey, hey, hey! You guys can't just call me. I am not the front seat in your mom's minivan," I established, turning away to pick up my stuff.

"I'm singing a solo. 'Kay?" I added, heading for the door. I pulled it open and stepped out to the disappointed groans of my classmates. I strode down the halls while deciding on going to my locker for a change of books before going to the next class. I stopped by and was just opening it when someone called me. I looked to see that it was Ryder Daniels.

"Oh, hi," I greeted.

"Ryder," he supplied with a smile.

"I know your name, Ryder," I replied, grinning back. He was so good looking. I kinda couldn't believe he was talking to me. What was he doing talking to me anyway?

"So, I was wondering if…maybe you…" he began to say. I suddenly knew what he wanted and had to stop him there.

"Look, I really can't sing a duet with you," I told him.

"No, that's not what I was going to ask you," he responded, shaking his head.

"It's not?" I inquired. Oh.

"I was gonna see if…maybe you wanted to, you know…go out? Or…I should probably just…" he rambled uncertainly. Aww, how cute. He moved to leave but I stopped him, grabbing his arm.

"No, wait. I'd love to go out sometime. And wow your arm is hard," I said, stopping to squeeze at the muscles his jacket was hiding from view. He chuckled, brightening.

"Thanks. So, we'll grab sushi or something," he suggested.

"Yes. I mean, yes. I want to do that," I started out enthusiastically only to remind myself to scale it back a bit. Sheesh, I was acting like I never went out with anyone. Come to think of it, I hadn't. Not since coming here anyway. Why was that? My thoughts were cleared away by our teacher striding down the hall with the quartet chasing him.

"Alright, fine! The four of you can sing as a quartet!" he allowed.

"Yay!" they sang excitedly.

"Now leave me alone," he groaned, walking away. Those guys never knew when to quit, did they? I turned my attention to Ryder but looked up when they started again

"Hey, hey, Tori Vega. Won't you be our very special-" they sang to me.

"No!" I promptly responded, cutting them off. Hm, no wonder that worked so well for Jade. The quartet was relentless. In no time they moved to chase Andre but his response was pretty much the same as mine. I shook my head and rolled my eyes, used to the strangeness. I returned to my conversation with Ryder, looking to kill some time before I had to go to my next class.

* * *

Today = AWESOME.

And I love my NEW PHONE!

Feeling: Tingly-ish

* * *

**~Jade~**

The time between classes was short but very much needed. I didn't think my tolerance level would last if I had to sit in a class for six hours straight minus however long lunch was. If that was the case I might just burn down the school. Maybe. I was joined by Beck not too long later.

"Is your hand feeling better?" I asked him. He nodded, raising it. It was a week or so since the sleepover and it was healing nicely. I took it in my own to get a better look.

"That burn remedy Mrs. Vega recommended worked like a charm," he mentioned. That's right. Beck told me all about the gang crashing Mr. and Mrs. Vega's anniversary night. We really needed to find some other place to hang out. Tori did mention that her parents were a little more than upset. I dropped Beck's hand and together we drifted to talk to Andre at his locker where Cat later found us. Everyone held a conversation while my thoughts kept me from really listening.

"Hey, what's wrong with me?" Robbie suddenly asked us. We turned to see him standing by the stairs. As one we each listed some things which made the nerd mad for a change.

"You guys! It's not funny!" he stated, walking over.

"Oh, and you're not funny," I made sure to include. I mean, he could be, but most of time he wasn't. He shrugged a shoulder, accepting it. The sound of a cricket chirping had Cat checking her phone.

"Oh, yay! North Star, how can I assist you?" she answered. I crossed my arms, wondering what she was up to this time. She started talking to the person on the other line, asking questions that only made my interest grow. Was the person injured? I exchanged a look with Beck. He only shrugged. Cat thanked the person after asking for a location then turned back to us, giggling.

"What was that about?" Beck asked her.

"You know the new phone number I got last week?" Cat began. The guys affirmed. I simply waited for Cat to explain.

"Well, there must be a glitch or something because lots of people who have North Star keep calling me," Cat said, like it was some honor.

"Wait, I've heard of North Star. Isn't that-" Andre started to say.

"An emergency service for people who just had a car accident," Cat finished for him. I tilted my head, wondering if Cat knew the severity of the situation.

"Oh my God," Rex remarked.

"It's so exciting, and I get to help people who need me," Cat celebrated.

"Yeah, but how will the paramedics know to go help that guy?" Robbie nicely asked her. Cat was silent before reaching out and grabbing Robbie's arm.

"Oh my God, you're right. I should call the paramedics," she said, giggling as she walked away. I sorta felt bad for all the people Cat 'helped' so far. I would not be surprised if someone died already. I sighed and took a sip of coffee, seeing Vega prance over. She had a big smile on her face. What happened now? She stopped between Robbie and Andre, throwing her arms over both of them.

"Hey!" she greeted.

"Ooh, someone's all happy about something," Andre pointed out. I scowled. Yeah, what was she happy about?

"Ugh, yeah, it's making me sick," I commented. Vega shot me a raised brow but was otherwise unaffected.

"Hey, um, is there a reason girls don't want to go out with me?" Robbie asked Tori. She hesitated before replying.

"You mean, like, one reason that stands out over all the other reasons?" she wondered. I hid a snicker behind my cup. Rex outright laughed. Robbie scowled.

"So why are you happy?" he asked, voice tense. Instantly that huge smile was back on her face.

"'Cause Ryder Daniels asked me out!" Vega shared. What?!

"Ooh, he's hot," Rex complimented. Yeah, that wasn't odd at all. By the looks on everyone's face they felt the same way.

"Stare all you want. I'm secure," Rex told us. Vega looked like she wanted to say something but let it go. Well, I sure as heck wasn't staying quiet. As much as I didn't want to say it in front of the others, I had to warn Vega. That, and the thought of anyone else getting to her before me just wasn't going to happen. I didn't work hard to keep everyone away from her for nothing.

"I don't trust that Ryder guy," I told her.

"You just hate the idea of anything good happening for me," Vega responded, brushing past me to get to her locker. I turned to face her.

"That could not be more true," I answered. I hated the idea of anything good happening to her because I should be under that category, not Ryder.

"Well, I'm just saying. Any dude that hot and that perfect has to be hiding something," I continued, trying to make her see that it wasn't a good idea.

"So I guess you think Beck's hiding something?" Andre spoke up.

"Oh, he was. Until I found out," I said, turning back around to face them. Beck gave me a questioning look, trying to figure out what I meant.

"Wh-what was I hiding?" he questioned.

"That you were born in Canada!" I shouted at him.

"It wasn't a secret," he responded. I rolled my eyes and walked away, knowing he would follow me. As soon as we were out of earshot we slowed down.

"How is it that you can turn any conversation into one where you can get angry enough to walk out on?" he teased, knowing it was all part of an act. I had to walk away before I started arguing with Vega over her most recent decision.

"It's a gift," I answered, smirking.

"You hate it, don't you?" he asked, voice quiet. He didn't have to elaborate. I knew what he meant. I heaved a sigh and shrugged.

"Well, yeah. I wasn't just being a gank. I've heard things about that guy. If Vega wants to date someone, fine. Just not him," I said, my slight worry slowing my pace.

"But it's not only that you care what happens to her. You also would rather she not date anyone at all, right?" he guessed. I looked at him and he smiled innocently.

"You know too much, Oliver," I said, playfully shoving him. He laughed and pushed back his hair, nodding.

"She'll see her mistake and I'll be there to tell her I told her so," I remarked. He shook his head at my comment but I knew that he knew I was right. Ryder Daniels was bad news. That much I knew for certain.

**~Tori~**

Jade stormed off yet again, and with Beck tailing her and Andre leaving I was left with Robbie while I moved to open my locker.

"So, this Ryder guy. He just asked you out and you said sure?" Robbie questioned.

"Uh, yeah. Pretty much," I replied, opening my locker door.

"And he didn't give you a present? Or money?" Robbie fished. My brows furrowed.

"No," I answered, dragging it out questioningly.

"Well I just don't understand," he grumbled. I looked away to see what book I needed when Robbie spoke again.

"Wait, this date. When and where?" he wondered.

"Friday night. My house," I said.

"Can I come?" he inquired.

"What? No. Why?" I asked, picking up a book I needed.

"'Cause I wanna learn from Ryder. Look, I wanna be the guy who can walk up to a girl, ask her out, and not get laughed at. Or sprayed," he explained. Sprayed? What? Like pepper spray? What was wrong with people? Robbie wasn't **that** bad.

"You can't 'observe' my first date with Ryder," I told him, putting up quotes with my fingers. Plus, that's just plain stalker-ish.

"He won't even know I'm there. I'll…I'll hide in that bush on your patio," Robbie pointed out.

"He'll see you," I pressed.

"You never have," Robbie countered.

"I know, but-what?!" I exclaimed, catching what he said. He quickly bowed out and walked away before I got the great idea to smack him. To be honest, I felt a little violated. The next day I spent my free time looking up what kind of sushi we could eat Friday night. I was trying to decide if I should order it or make it by hand. By the end of the day I decided on spicy tuna rolls and I would show off a little by making them myself, despite never doing it before. I could do it. How hard could it be? I got home and started preparing everything, keen to start practicing. If they came out alright I could even store them for tomorrow and I wouldn't have to go through all this mess again. The rice ended up stickier than I expected and it was so hard getting it to hold together properly. Trina came in from the back and I looked up to see her squatting every so often. What was she doing now?

"Trina, will you please help me?" I asked, desperate to make these work.

"Busy," she forced out, mid squat. I frowned and got back to work.

"Are you making sushi?" she questioned.

"Yeah. Will you just read me the directions that are right over-" I started to say, gesturing to my phone, but she held up a finger.

"Look, I just got these jeans and I gotta stretch 'em out," Trina interrupted, pointing to her butt. Okay, then. I looked up when I heard Trina grunting again, my frown returning when I saw her rubbing her butt all over the table in her effort to stretch her jeans.

"You know, we eat on that table," I reprimanded her.

"Sorry. My butt's gotta breathe," she replied, rubbing it some more. Gross.

"And why make…sushi?" she said pausing to squat. She was taking huge steps across the room now.

"I'm gonna surprise my date, Ryder Daniels," I answered with a smile, picking up more rice.

"Ryder? Senior guy, super hot?" Trina asked, stretching her foot up past the two steps in the living room.

"Yeah," I confirmed, packing on more rice.

"Be careful," my sister cautioned. First Jade and now Trina?

"Why?" I wondered.

"He dates lots of girls. You know my friend Lindsey?" she began, continuing her stretches.

"Lindsey doesn't like you," I mentioned, remembering a huge fight the two had in the middle of the school's hallway.

"So. I know her," Trina bit back, pausing to glare at me. I nodded, going back to the sushi.

"Anyway, she went out with Ryder last year and he totally broke her heart," she explained, backing up until she was leaning on the piano for support.

"He dumped her?" I guessed.

"Like, with no warning. Just, **boom**! Over," she replied, kicking up a leg.

"Well, maybe he had a good reason?" I suggested. Trina only sighed.

"What is that?" she asked, nodding to my creation.

"It's a…spicy…tuna…ball," I hesitantly answered, holding it up. I smiled and she shook her head.

"Sure is," she said, standing up and heading for the stairs. She grunted on each step, stretching her foot up two steps at a time. She could think my sushi was weird all she wanted but look at her. I sighed and set the ball down. Just a few more to go. I was just about to start on another when my phone went off. I bustled over and used my elbow to tap my way into the message Jade of all people sent me. And of course, she was bugging me about Ryder. What was her problem? I asked why she even cared and surprisingly I didn't get a reply from her until I got through another sushi ball.

I rushed to see what her reply was and almost stopped what I was doing altogether. In true Jade West fashion she told me she was concerned. Well, it didn't come out like that, but I knew what she meant. She said that she didn't want to deal with me moping around and she could only take so much crying so she thought it better to head it all off before it happened so she didn't have to deal with me. I knew anyone else would take those words literally and get offended but I knew better. So, I reassured her that I would be just fine and that I wouldn't need her shoulder to cry on. Her last text told me she tried to warn me and that I couldn't be mad when she got to say she told me so. Ugh, she was such a pain.

* * *

I just made tuna into balls.

They are spicy.

Feeling: Hungry

* * *

Tonight was the night and I couldn't wait. Ryder showed up right on time and I let him in with a welcoming sweep of my arm. He laughed and sat down after taking off his jacket while I ran for the kitchen. I pulled out my hard work from the fridge and hurried back over with two extra plates.

"Tada!" I announced, setting the main plate down. I set one ball on each plate and offered one to him. He took it and I sat down with my own. He thanked me and picked up the chopsticks. I did the same. We scooped up the sushi monstrosity at the same time. He looked at it, thoughtful, and then looked to me. I smiled, waiting for him to try it first. He looked like he was having some trouble. They were kinda big. I set mine down on the plate and planned to pull pieces off instead while Ryder took a bite out of the side of his.

"So, how's your spicy tuna ball?" I asked.

"I've never had sushi like this before," he admitted. I took that as a compliment.

"Aww, thank you," I said, nudging his arm. I picked a little at my food before eventually setting it aside. What if Jade and Trina were right? The thought had been bugging me for some time now. I mean, it did come from my former enemy and my wacky sister, but that didn't mean it wasn't true. When did Jade and Trina agree on anything anyway? That had to mean something.

"So listen. I gotta ask you something," I told him. He made a sound of acknowledgement and set down his plate too.

"Hit me," he encouraged. I picked up my drink and he followed my lead, both of us getting comfortable on the couch so that we faced each other.

"Ok, so we've been in the same class all year," I started. He nodded.

"And we've, like, never even talked or anything and you just…ask me out," I finished.

"All true," he confirmed.

"Why?" I inquired, anxious about what he was going to say.

"I don't know. I guess I was…nervous to talk to you," he confessed. I quickly swallowed the sip I was in the middle of to answer him.

"But that's insane. You're all…hot and stuff, Mr. Hard Muscles," I responded, reaching over to feel his arm where it rested on the back of the couch. Come to think of it, I've been close enough to Jade a few times to notice she was pretty toned too. No, focus on Ryder.

"What about you, Miss Cheekbones?" he countered, raising a hand to lightly pinch at my cheek.

"Stoooop," I playfully dismissed.

"No, I mean, come on. You're pretty. You're an amazing singer. You can make…whatever this is," he said, picking up the ball of sushi from his plate. I chuckled shyly. He set it down and turned to me.

"Hey, do you have a bathroom?" he asked.

"Yeah. Through there. First door on your left," I answered, pointing it out. He unfolded his legs to get up and set down his cup.

"Thanks," she said as he passed.

"Sure," I replied. I watched him go, lost in thought. When he was complimenting me he was so sweet. He looked so unattainable and all this about him being a bad guy, that he was hiding something. But how can anyone that nice be mean? Why couldn't Jade be that nice? Maybe it was because I knew her and what she was capable of. She could be lying. But then again, Trina did say Lindsey was abruptly dumped with no explanation. If he was nice he could have at least explained. So maybe he wasn't so nice? But then again, it takes getting to know a person. Jade seems mean all the time but I've seen her nice side. I really have to stop thinking about her. I agreed to going out with Ryder in order to get my mind off her. This was a good idea. Pining after her was definitely a bad one.

"Hey!" Trina's shrill voice yelled in my ear. I screamed and jumped away from her. Where the heck did she come from?

"Where did you come from? Have you been eavesdropping?" I questioned her. She nodded.

"Yes. Check his phone," she demanded.

"What?" I gaped.

"Shh, you don't have much time and boys pee fast. Check his phone," she ordered again.

"For what?" I asked. She scooped it up off the couch where Ryder had been sitting and brandished it at me.

"You can always find out a person's secrets by checking their phone," she explained, shoving it at me.

"But-" I stammered, trying to tell her I refused, yet she only pushed the phone into my hands and ran off.

"Hurry!" she whisper yelled, climbing the side of the stairs and disappearing up them. I glanced around, nervous. Trina cared, right? She wasn't trying to ruin everything for me, right? I bit my tongue as I searched through the phone, hoping I didn't find anything incriminating. I also had to get done before he-

"Can I help you find something?" he suddenly asked. I screamed again, jumping.

"Wow. You guys do pee fast," I gasped out, trying at a joke. It didn't work.

"Were you reading my text messages?" he accused, leaning on the back of the couch.

"No," I flat out denied. The phone went off in my hands as soon as the word was out of my mouth. Traitor.

"Dude!" he exclaimed, taking it from me.

"I'm sorry! Ok, I was snooping!" I admitted.

"Wow. We've been going out for about forty-six minutes and you already don't trust me," he said, glancing at his watch. I stood from the couch.

"No! No, I'm not like that!" I told him.

"Are you sure? 'Cause I think you're exactly like that," he stated. I couldn't say anything. He stared at me a moment before grabbing his jacket.

"No, don't pick up your jacket," I groaned, sitting back down.

"I gotta go," he said, opening the door.

"But, what about your spicy tuna balls?" I inquired, picking up the plate.

"I'll see you later," he replied, leaving anyway. As soon as the door closed I sighed and wiped at my face, frustrated for listening to Trina. When my hands fell away I noticed the plants out on the patio moving.

"Did that bush just waddle?" I wondered, walking over to get a better look. I threw open the glass door.

"Robbie Shapiro!" I shouted.

"Yes?" the boy answered, standing up from his hiding spot.

"You're invading my privacy," I yelled at him.

"Hey, at least I didn't snoop through Ryder's phone," he replied, hands raised defensively. I yelled unintelligibly and pointed for him to leave. He responded with his own gibberish and quickly left. I shut the door and walked over to pick up the rest of the sushi balls, taking them back to the fridge. I guess I would have to eat them later. I sat back down and finished the one I started on, staring at the one meant for Ryder the whole time. I had to apologize to him. What I did was wrong. I shouldn't have listened to Trina. What was I thinking? My own phone chimed and I picked it up.

"Dang it, Jade," I cursed, seeing that I got a text from her. My eyes widened when I opened it.

"'Ditch Ryder and hang out with me.' What?" I gasped, reading it out loud. I didn't have time to think about it before another text came in. I hurriedly opened that one too.

"'Beck and I are playing Truth or Dare. That was the dare, if it wasn't obvious.' Rude," I grumbled after reading it. I let my phone fall to my lap and groaned.

**~Jade~**

What in the holy chiz did I do? Was I that desperate? Did I actually think she would ditch Ryder to hang out with me? No. Maybe. I didn't really know. What I did know was that going out with Ryder was asking for trouble. I remembered all the times I had to find a new bathroom because the current one I walked into was full of girls comforting some chick that had her heart broken by Ryder. It happened a fair amount of times. And now he was interested in Vega. I had no doubt it would end the same way. I had to make her see that Ryder wasn't good for her, and I had to do it soon. Like, the next day soon. So I headed over to the Vega household. I made an effort to knock and wait instead of barge in. I listened to the arguing sisters inside until Trina was forced to open the door. I pushed past her and strode to stand in front of the TV, blocking Vega from her show. Trina shot me a look on her way up the stairs but I ignored her.

"Jade, come on. Not now," Vega complained. I bent to pick up the remote next to her and shut off the TV. She groaned, but as always, she reluctantly gave in.

"You can't go out with that-what is that thing?" I began strong, only to lose traction at the odd ball she was eating. She glanced down at it.

"A spicy tuna ball," she answered.

"Ball? Shouldn't it be a roll?" I wondered.

"Yeah, but I made them myself and I couldn't get them to roll," she explained.

"How did you make them?" I questioned.

"My hands," she responded, like it was obvious.

"That's it?" I further questioned.

"Is there anything else?" she wondered.

"Yeah, like a rolling mat used for making sushi properly. What janked up directions did you use, Vega?" I demanded, snatching the plate from her.

"Ok, if this is you trying to be friendly you have it all wrong," she told me. I rolled my eyes and headed for the kitchen. Vega got up to follow me.

"How many of these did you make?" I asked, setting down the plate on the counter. As an answer she pulled out a whole plate full of them from the fridge.

"Geez," I commented, looking them over.

"They don't taste bad at least," she said with a shrug.

"I don't know…" I teased, eyeing them as if they would grow teeth and attack. She put a hand on her hip and frowned at me.

"Ok, ok. I'll try one before I pass judgment," I allowed. She held out the plate but I ignored it in favor of eating the one meant for her. Her lips pressed together but she didn't say anything. I made sure to take a generous bite, expecting the worst, but I was surprised.

"It isn't half bad," I commented, avoiding looking at her. I already knew she was smiling.

"Awesome, then you can help me finish them," she mentioned.

"What?" I responded incredulously, looking at her. Big mistake. Her brown eyes were bright and she looked so hopeful.

"A friend would help me finish them and listen to my problems while she's at it," she suggested, walking back to the couch. I contemplated leaving, but with a loud groan, I picked up the plate and followed her. I plopped down next to her and waited for her whining to begin. I was surprised when she looked hesitant to start. What was going on in her head?

"You know, I heard from Cat that Robbie was over here being a creeper during your date," I began, opening the conversation. Her brows furrowed.

"Yeah, he was. Why did he tell Cat?" she inquired.

"He was trying out what he learned. Anyway, he also mentioned that you were being a snoop," I went on. Vega let out a frustrated sound and fell back against the couch.

"Well it wouldn't have happened if I didn't listen to Trina," she griped.

"She told you to look through his phone?" I questioned. That did sound like Trina. It made more sense than Tori doing it on her own.

"Yes. I really shouldn't have. It was wrong of me to-" she began, but I cut her off.

"Did you find anything good?" I asked next, eager for info.

"Jade!" she exclaimed.

"What? Did you?" I asked again.

"No! And even if I did I wouldn't tell you," she said, crossing her arms.

"That's what a friend would do," I countered, using her words against her. She remained impassive so I let it drop, taking another bite of the sushi ball.

"So that must be why you won the yelling contest that determined who would answer the door," I pointed out.

"Yep," she affirmed.

"You know you can get her to do whatever you want if you just held her most prized possessions hostage," I remarked.

"I'm not giving her any ideas to use against me," she responded.

"Smart," I mumbled, stuffing my mouth before I said anything else. She smiled and finally picked up a sushi ball to eat.

"So, uh, this was unexpected yet nice. I thought I would be sharing these with Ryder on our date, but that didn't go as planned," she muttered, her eyes flicking to me before looking down at her food. I finished off mine before answering, uncomfortably aware that I really was in Ryder's place right now. This could very well be a date. Did it seem like that to Vega?

"Well, maybe things don't always have to be planned to turn out nice," I said, voice quiet. Our eyes met and she smiled at me. I shrugged off the feeling it evoked and set down my plate. I sat up straight and took a breath before bringing up the one topic that was bothering me ever since the sleepover.

"I never got a proper answer to why you kissed me," I reminded her. Instantly she was fidgety and she looked everywhere but at me.

"Oh, look at the time! I just remembered I have homework to do!" she shouted, jumping from the couch. I was quick to yank her back down.

"Vega, you can't keep dodging this. I…I need to know," I told her, honest. She stopped trying to fight me off but she still wouldn't look at me.

"I-I wanted to," she whispered, barely audible. I let her go and sat back down, giving her space. She wanted to? Did that mean she liked me back? Okay, I could accept that answer. For now.

"Ok," I said out loud, nodding.

"Just ok?" she mumbled, uncertain. She looked like she was expecting something worse. When I nodded she relaxed a bit more. I stood, needing to leave before I did anything rash. I took one of the sushi balls to go.

"These utterly failed by the way. I'll have to teach you how to make them the right way," I told her, taking a bite as I headed for the door.

"Really? You'd do that?" she questioned, ecstatic.

"If you don't ever remind me again, then yes," I replied, opening the door. She jumped off the couch for a hug. I should have seen that coming. I returned it with one arm before stepping away. I ate most of the sushi ball on my walk to the car, finishing it off once I was seated. I didn't look back at the front door and drove off as soon as possible.

**~Tori~**

* * *

Looking for a certain boy.

My donut tastes weird.

Feeling: Searchy

* * *

As great as it was to spend some time with Jade, the weekend would not go fast enough. I still had to apologize to Ryder. I didn't get a reply when I tried to text him. As I walked to the class we shared I thought about Jade's visit. I couldn't believe she didn't press for more. She just accepted my answer. She didn't even get mad that I kinda sorta confessed that I might like her. I was so sure her scissors would be out and aimed for my hair. Maybe we really were friends and she accepted it because that was just what friends did. It couldn't be the other possibility. Could it? I put the thought on hold when I reached school, pulling open the door awkwardly since my hands were full with my doughnut and coffee. I asked a group of students if they saw Ryder but they hadn't. I looked past them to see Ryder leaning on the corner at the far end of the row of lockers. I shoved my doughnut in a girl's mouth and passed someone else my coffee to free up my hands then ran over to him.

"Ryder, listen-" I began, stopping when he turned around.

"Yes?" Robbie replied, smiling. What the heck? Robbie? And was that a girl he was talking to just now?

"Ew, Robbie, what did you do?" I questioned.

"I realized that a guy like Ryder gets girls because of his looks and his attitude. So I makeovered myself," he answered with a shrug.

"Your ear is bleeding," I told him.

"I know. I tried to pierce it like Ryder's," he said.

"Ryder doesn't have a pierced ear," I informed him. His eyes widened and he turned to Rex.

"You said you were sure his ear was pierced," he addressed the puppet. Rex laughed.

"Yeah, I was kiddin'," he admitted. Robbie looked horrified. I only blinked and shook my head. Cat came skipping over, greeting us. We returned it and she went on to ask if we wanted to do anything after school, but then her phone chirped. We listened as she tried to talk to who Robbie mentioned was another car crash victim. Cat walked away, unable to decipher the word I was pretty sure was ambulance. I tried to ask Robbie who exactly she was talking too but he ran off when he saw a girl he was interested in. I sighed and walked back down the hall, continuing my search. I was relieved when I spotted Ryder coming down the main stairs. He stopped when I called to him.

"Hey," he said, understandably wary.

"Hey. Did you get my text messages?" I asked.

"Yeah. You wanna check my phone to make sure I'm not lying?" he prompted, holding up his phone. Oh boy do I feel bad.

"I'm sorry. I was so wrong to snoop on your phone. And if you give me another chance I promise I'll trust you and I'll never, ever, ever give you spicy tuna balls ever again," I rambled. I smiled hopefully and he returned it.

"I kinda like the spicy tuna balls," he replied. My smile widened.

"So, you wanna come over tonight?" I offered.

"I can't. I gotta pick a song for the Full Moon Jam. I gotta start rehearsing it," he declined.

"Aww," I pouted.

"I gotta. And I don't even know what song I'm gonna do yet," he admitted.

"You don't?" I inquired.

"No. I just-I get so scared to sing alone," he confessed. Hmm.

"Well, maybe we can do a song together? A little duet action?" I suggested, gesturing between us. His worried expression lessened and a smile replaced it.

"That sounds nice. You make me feel safe," he said, resting a hand on my shoulder. We stared at each other, lost in the moment, until Cat came over.

"Hey, do you guys know if it's possible for a man to perform CPR on himself?" she questioned.

"I don't think so," Ryder answered.

"I doubt it," I added.

"Yeah, me too," Cat agreed. She went back to the call and told the guy her 'supervisor' said that it was impossible. She didn't get a reply yet she stood there trying to get an answer.

"Cat? I think they, uh, hung up," I told her, pushing the phone down.

"How rude," she commented, walking away. Shouldn't someone do something about that? No? Ok.

**~Jade~**

I caught Ryder schmoozing Vega in the hallway. I could see what he was doing a mile away. Of course Vega was just too gullible to notice. I also saw Cat talking to her latest victim and redirected the question she asked me to Vega, hoping it would interrupt whatever staring thing that was going on over there. I waited for Cat to return and grabbed her by the arm when she passed me, yanking her closer.

"Oh, hi Jade. Tori and Ryder didn't think so either," she mentioned.

"What were they talking about? Did you hear anything?" I interrogated her.

"No. Should I have?" she asked. I held in my irritation and shook my head.

"No," I answered, pushing her out of the way. Cat was good for some things but paying attention was not one of them. Her tendency to share every conversation she had with Shapiro actually helped a little when I went to confront Vega but it looked like I would have to do some digging on my own this time. I hunted down the oldest Vega and listened into the banal conversation she was currently a part of. It had something to do with a trip to the mall later but I stopped listening around the time she mentioned having to stick around because her sister was staying after school. For what? I waited until the bell rang and ended their conversation before intercepting her.

"What is your sister doing after school?" I demanded.

"Why should I tell you?" Trina snapped. I glared daggers at her and she quickly took back her words.

"She said she had something to rehearse for the Full Moon Jam," she quickly fessed up. A small threat later and she told me all I needed to know, meet-up times, location, and all. Just as I thought. She would be with Ryder. I made Trina agree to leave without her sister and started making plans of my own. I dismissed the older Vega and paced a little, deciding how I should show up. Beck found me moments later, Robbie tagging along behind him.

"What?" I questioned when I saw the concerned look on Beck's face.

"Tell her, Rob," he said, gesturing to me. Robbie cleared his throat before starting. Apparently, some chick the loser was trying to fail-flirt with had some helpful information. Vega had to hear this. Preferably soon.

**~Tori~**

Ryder and I went our own ways after agreeing to meet up after school to rehearse. I had already picked a song to sing. It was one of my favorites. All that was left was to practice. We set up in our classroom and sat facing each other on a pair of stools. We went through the song twice before we were satisfied.

"That was fantastic," I stated, hopping up.

"You're fantastic," Ryder said, standing up too. We ended up facing each other with inches between us. He leaned in but I stopped him, pushing him back.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Were you about to kiss me?" I questioned, panicking just a bit at the prospect. For what reason, I didn't know.

"Yeah," he said with a nod. Huh. I was just about to give him the go ahead when the door swung open, startling me. I screamed and jumped away from Ryder, looking to see who it was.

"Vega, your sister left you behind in favor of shopping and I graciously decided to pick up her slack so let's get going before I leave you too," Jade ordered, striding into the room. She waited expectantly with crossed arms, piercing gaze on Ryder despite talking to me.

"Sorry," I said, turning to him.

"It's cool," he replied. I stood there, wanting to somehow apologize further for Jade's brusque interruption, but said girl stomped over to drag me from the room. I barely had any time to grab my stuff on the way out.

"See you later!" I called to him before the door shut. I yanked away from Jade and she let me go easily enough. She didn't say anything. She just kept walking out to the parking lot. I followed just as quietly. When we got to my house Jade got out of the car too.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Going inside," she answered simply. I stared at her questioningly but carried on. Jade made herself at home. She had her phone out and was texting but I didn't look closer. Snooping got me nowhere before so I sat down next to her and waited for her to tell me what was going on.

**~Jade~**

I sent Beck a message telling him that Vega and I were at her house, as planned. He texted me back saying that he was heading over with the rest of the gang. If Vega wouldn't listen to me then maybe she would listen to everyone else. Hopefully. They showed up minutes later and I let them in.

"What's up, guys?" Vega asked, finally realizing that something was wrong. Andre only sat her down and patted her back. Cat sat next to her but Beck and I stayed standing.

"You have to hear this, chica," Andre told her. And so started the explanation. Vega listened with a sad expression, silent.

"And then, Robbie told us," Beck told her.

"So we checked it out with some of the other girls Ryder's gone out with…" Andre began.

"And it's true," Cat finished.

"So…he's just using me to get a good grade?" Vega mumbled, hurt.

"Sorry, Tori," Andre said. Cat squeezed her knee comfortingly. Silence fell and I fidgeted, needing to remind her that I was right.

"You must feel pretty stupid right now," I commented. Everyone sighed and Beck gripped the bridge of his nose. I know, I know. Not really needed, but still. I told her so. I couldn't help it and I felt a lot better saying it.

"Ok, that's a time out," Beck stated, erasing my pleased smile.

"No, I was just trying to-" I rushed to explain, but he talked over me.

"Go sit on the steps," he ordered, hitching a thumb over his shoulder. I pouted, trying to make him feel bad, but did as I was told. I sat down heavily and drank from my cup of coffee.

"So what do I do now?" Vega asked them, standing up to pace. Duh, get back at the guy.

"Well, you're not gonna still sing a duet with that jerk, right?" Andre inquired.

"Ugh, no way," she answered. That was a relief.

"Good, so he'll fail," Beck spoke up.

"Yeah, but I don't want to fail too," she pointed out.

"So, what are you going to sing?" Andre asked her. I pulled my gaze away from my chipped black nail polish and looked to see an epiphany alight on Vega's face.

"A song. A really cool song that you're gonna help me write tonight," she said, hanging onto Andre's arm.

"I can't," he disagreed.

"You have to!" she pressed.

"But I gotta go-" he began to protest, but Beck and Cat cut across him, urging him to help. See, I wasn't the only pushy one.

"Alright! I'll just celebrate my ninety-seven year old great grandpa's birthday with him next year. Possibly," he shouted. He walked away, leaving the other three standing around at his outburst.

"Well come on!" Andre urged, taking a seat at the piano. I looked at Vega expectantly and she met my gaze. I shrugged and she ran over to join Andre at the piano, Beck and Cat following. It looked like it was going to be a long night.

**~Tori~**

Trina had come home while we worked on the song so we had to explain everything to her. She was happy to hear that I wasn't going to let Ryder use me and that we had a plan for revenge. On the way to school I made her swear she wouldn't go gossiping. If word got around and Ryder found out the plan would be ruined. It was almost too easy to pretend that everything was fine when I ran into Ryder. After school we rehearsed once more before meeting up again for the Full Moon Jam. I was ready to take my place when Jade stopped me on my way backstage.

"It's good to see you're capable of revenge like the rest of us," she commented. I stopped to face her, wondering what she wanted.

"What do you mean?" I questioned.

"I always thought you were too goody-goody to consider mass humiliation. Especially since I had a hand in the conniving," Jade said with a shrug.

"Well I did and I'm still going through with it," I stated, resolute.

"Good for you, Vega," she told me, smirking. I raised a brow.

"Was that sarcasm or do you really mean that?" I asked her, uncertain.

"I don't know. What do you think?" she inquired cryptically, stepping around me. She stopped next to me and leaned in.

"Knock him dead," she encouraged.

"Thanks," I said, gasping when she grabbed my wrist.

"One other thing," she added.

"What is it?" I questioned. She looked around like someone would hear so I leaned in closer, offering my ear.

"I told you so," she whispered, triggering a mix of feelings. She was so close that a shiver passed through me, but irritation quickly followed. I pulled away from her with a scolding frown but she only laughed, turning on her heel and disappearing into the silent crowd gathered around the front of the stage. The quartet was up so I didn't blame them. I watched Jade go before continuing backstage.

* * *

Sometimes it's nice to forgive

people. And other times,

REVENGE ROCKS.

Feeling: Feisty

* * *

I arrived just in time to hear Ryder confirm our suspicions. It made me more determined to get back at him now that I heard his plan straight from his mouth. I couldn't wait to show him who he was messing with. It might just save any other girl from falling for him too. At least, that was my hope. I stood next to Ryder and offered him a smile when we were introduced. He smiled back and then led the way on stage. I scanned the cheering crowd and saw Beck gesture to Robbie. The plan was in motion.

"Hey you guys," I greeted the crowd, gaining cheers.

"Hey," Ryder added, playing up being shy.

"Ok, this is a little song for the ladies. Especially for the ones who know my friend, Ryder," I announced, pointing at him.

"Uh, my mic's not working," he informed me. Of course not.

"Bummer," I replied, turning back to the crowd.

"Let's go, Andre!" I signaled.

"Andre?" Ryder questioned. Andre began the opening guitar to the song we worked on and the curtains opened up behind us, revealing the band.

"Uh, what song is this?" Ryder asked me, confused.

"Just listen. I think you'll hate it!" I answered excitedly. I began to sing, my eyes locked on him. The first few words already had him backing away but two dancers stopped him. He tried the other way but two more showed up to block him again. He snuck to the side of the stage, ready to slip away, but both Robbie and Beck were there to make sure he didn't. Ryder stood to the side, uncomfortable while I humiliated him. The crowd was going wild. Trina was cheering me on and even Jade was dancing where she sat next to Rex. Ryder walked over to try the other side of the stage but one of his ex's, the one Robbie had gotten the info from, was there waiting to cut him off.

Our teacher was next to her, unhappy to hear about Ryder's attempt to cheat. I glanced over to see him try and get past Beck and Robbie again but Beck physically stopped him, pushing him back on stage. I ended the second chorus with a long held note, grinning when I saw Jade cheer with a fist in air, pumped. I hoped it was more for the performance than for what the performance was doing to Ryder. Either way I liked seeing her enjoying herself, even if I caused it indirectly. I made sure to confront Ryder one more time before the song ended, singing the last few words as I took center stage. Trina's shrill scream at the end made me laugh and Jade's loud cheer brought my gaze to her. She smiled when our eyes met.

"You just got burned," the quartet sung when Ryder hopped down from the stage. He glanced at me and I waved at him. Bye-bye, Ryder. He backed away and left. I cheered and ran over to high five Andre, pulling him into a hug.

"We showed him!" I yelled over the applause.

"We sure did!" he shouted back. Everyone dispersed and I ran down the steps of the stage, looking for Jade. I found her past the crowd, hanging back while the next students went up to take their turn. I was excited from performing and sending Ryder on his way. Maybe too excited, because I forgot about being irritated with Jade as soon as I saw her. I ran toward her, throwing my arms around her. She caught me despite the shock on her face. I wrapped my arms around her neck, laughing in relief from the near miss at heartbreak had it not been for her.

I leaned back to look at her, suddenly all too aware of her hands on my waist. I freed a hand from under her waves of hair and placed it on her cheek. It might be cheesy, but everything around me went quiet when I stared into her eyes. Something occurred to me in that moment. I was interested in Ryder because he was the closest I could get to having Jade. He was a bad boy dressed in black sporting a mean streak despite the ability to be sweet. And that was when I knew I really, really liked Jade West. There was no escaping it so I accepted it. I leaned in until our noses brushed.

"Don't," Jade whispered, pulling away. I closed my eyes, feeling rejected, but nodded. I knew why she stopped me. She wasn't ready yet. To be honest, I wasn't even sure if **I** was ready yet. So I withdrew until my hands slid down from her shoulders. She removed her hands from my waist and let them drop to her sides.

"So, um," I muttered, wringing my hands. Jade didn't say anything so I turned away. She grabbed at my wrist, stopping me.

"Wait," she implored. I turned to look at her only for her full lips to meet my cheek. I stood there, dazed. Jade smiled, punched my arm playfully, and then walked off. I couldn't move from the spot I stood in, my mouth hanging open in complete surprise. I caught Jade off guard a few times before, even surprising myself, so I guess it was her turn to do the same this time. Trina caught up to me then, physically shaking me out of my stupor. She dragged me back into the crowd, surrounded by the gang. I automatically looked for Jade, hoping she stuck around, but she was nowhere to be seen. I caught Beck's eye and he smiled knowingly. I cocked my head, silently questioning, but he didn't explain. I wondered what he meant by that look but I didn't worry over it. We still had an hour left to spend hanging out and I wasn't going to waste it when I was in such high spirits.

* * *

**So, the start of season two. Let's see how long it takes me to get through it.**


	21. Beck Falls for Tori

**As much as I wanted Jade to take Tori's place for the stunt they don't look similar and it wouldn't work for the episode name. Also, it's much funnier to put Beck in a dress.**

* * *

**~Tori~**

Acting was a big part of Hollywood Arts. The students were talented and could improvise any scene no matter what role they had to play. And yet, I still couldn't comprehend Cat roughing up Beck, even if it was for a scene. Cat's character was currently interrogating Beck's character and Andre's character stood impassively off to the side. I heard a chuckle and knew without looking that Jade was getting a kick out of seeing Cat slap Beck around. I rolled my eyes but couldn't keep the smile from my lips. Beck's acting was so good too. He just broke down crying. I was seriously absorbed in the scene.

"Boring," Sikowitz booed from his seat at the back of the classroom. We all looked to him.

"That was boring?" Andre questioned, disbelieving.

"Yeah. It was all too predictable. There was no 'ahhh' surprises," our teacher explained, walking to the front.

"I enjoyed the slapping," Jade commented. Yep. I was sure she did.

"The entertainment is so much more entertaining when the characters do things the audience doesn't expect," Sikowitz clarified.

"I don't get what you're trying to say here," Robbie spoke up.

"You bewildered everybody," Rex added. The class mumbled their agreement.

"Ok, ok. Maybe I'm wrong. Let's move on to something else," Sikowitz said with a clap. Andre, Beck, and Cat left the stage to sit down. Sikowitz took their place.

"Let's talk about our hopes and dreams. Tori!" he yelled, pointing at me.

"Sikowitz," I answered, copying him and pointing back.

"What's your biggest hope and/or dream?" he asked me, settling down in front of me on the steps of the stage. I thought about it a moment before answering.

"Probably to be a popstar. A really successful singer," I told him. He stared at me and then burst out laughing. I chuckled hesitantly, wondering what was so funny.

"What?" I finally asked.

"Well, maybe you could sing at weddings…" he began. I frowned.

"For the hearing impaired!" he finished, laughing again. Ouch. Everyone gaped at him.

"Ok, this is the most fun class ever," Jade remarked. I shot her a glare over my shoulder. Why wasn't she taking this seriously? I mean, I get that she wasn't going to act any differently since we became a bit closer, but come on. He just insulted me. And he was still laughing! I turned back to Sikowitz.

"You really don't think I could make it as a singer?" I inquired, hurt.

"Nope," he answered with a shake of his head. Ok, so maybe he did mean it.

"Ha!" he suddenly shouted, pointing at us.

"Ya see? You're all staring at me with rapt attention. Why? Because as a teacher you expect me to encourage my students, not puke on their dreams. Right?" he explained. We all readily agreed. Oh what a relief. He didn't mean it after all.

"This was what I was trying to explain. When characters do the unexpected-" he lectured, falling to the floor in pain. I sat up straight in my seat, worried.

"Audiences pay attention," he finished, getting up and snapping his fingers in a weird dance of triumph. I groaned.

"I have a headache," I bemoaned. The bell rang and I gratefully got ready to leave.

"That's lunch time. Get out," Sikowitz dismissed. Everyone stood and gathered their things to leave.

"Hey, Jade. That's a nice new sweater," Rex complimented. I glanced over while grabbing my bag to see Jade's reaction.

"Thanks. It's made out of puppet hair," she responded, walking away.

"Dang, woman," Rex said. I stood up, ready to follow them out when they passed, but Sikowitz asked me to stay.

"No. I'm scared," I told him, suspicious after his last lesson.

"Just listen. How would you like to do something…exciting?" he questioned, smiling.

"Uh, could I have more details?" I replied, still not trusting him just yet. That was far too vague, and knowing Sikowitz it could be anything. He stepped down from the stage.

"My friend Jenny is a casting director. She's working on a new movie," he began to explain. Instantly, I perked up.

"Movie?" I repeated, highly interested.

"They need a spunky teenage girl to play the best friend of the lead," he continued, moving around putting away chairs before stopping in front of me with his arms crossed. I grinned.

"Would you…like to…audition?" he offered. What an opportunity! Yet a bit daunting.

"Wow. I mean, I've never auditioned for a real movie before," I confessed.

"And I've never done a standing backflip, but watch this," he responded, stepping back. Um, I didn't like where this was going. Sikowitz attempted the backflip and fell flat on his face. I gasped.

"Are you ok?" I asked him, concerned.

"Not really," he replied, voice muffled by the floor. I sighed. Maybe I should get the nurse.

"Don't get the nurse. I've been in there twice already today just trying to prove a point," he mumbled. I raised a brow, questioning, but helped him up. One of these days he was really going to hurt himself. I left his classroom after he assured me he would be fine and that he would call his friend as soon as possible. I thanked him and then headed out to make one last stop before going to lunch.

**~Jade~**

I headed right for Festus' Grub Truck as soon as I got out to the Asphalt Café. Today's music came courtesy of Vega's performance for the Full Moon Jam. Like I needed a reminder of that night. Vega hadn't brought it up, which was good, but that didn't stop me from thinking about it. I wound through the crowd of students and cut in front of Robbie to insure I got what I came for. He opened his mouth to protest but I only had to glare at him and he stopped himself. It was a good choice. I got my food and headed to our table. Robbie followed close behind, greeting Andre, Beck, and Cat in that nerd way of his.

"I'm not with him," I stated, breezing past him to sit down next to Beck.

"Hey, Robbie. Want me to tell you what size your pants are?" Cat asked him before he could sit down. I looked up to see that she was dressed in a Little Bo Peep costume. She must be getting the hang of making costumes already.

"I already know. They're a size four," he answered. Cat giggled.

"Size four?" I questioned. Robbie nodded.

"That's how they measure girl's pants," Cat informed him.

"What? Rex, you promised me these were boy jeans," he said, looking to the puppet who laughed.

"You've been Rex'd," he responded. I still don't get why Robbie did this to himself. I knew I should have pushed harder for Rex to kick the bucket. But no. Vega had to have it her way. Speaking of her, here she comes now.

"Hey. Will you guys take a look at my headshot and resume?" she asked, passing them out to each of us. I took one look at the headshot and wanted to make fun of her. Not because it was a bad picture, but because it was an old one. She had to be around twelve or something. I didn't like the word cute, so I wasn't going to use it, but geez. And for that I wanted to make fun of her.

"What for?" Andre asked her, picking up a copy while Vega sat down next to me.

"Sikowitz got me an audition for a movie," she shared, bright smile in place. Everyone congratulated her.

"I don't care," I spoke up, shaking my head.

"You look twelve in this pic," Andre told her. Funny how I guessed right on that.

"Well, that was the last time I was shot by a professional photographer," she replied.

"My brother got shot by a clown," Cat piped up factually. We stared at her, but frankly, the strange and unusual things she said were becoming routine.

"Why?" Andre questioned.

"Because my brother kept poking him and saying, 'Whatcha gonna do about it, clown? Huh?' It happened on a bus," she explained. I should just stop her there.

"Cat, color the tiger," I commanded, pulling out a coloring book and crayons I tended to carry around for moments such as these. It did a good job of keeping her quiet and distracted which kept me from getting irritated. Vega gave me a sidelong stare but I ignored her.

"Yay! Crayons!" Cat shouted, opening the box.

"Well, now I have to find a professional photographer," Vega mentioned.

"Did someone say she needs a professional photographer?" Sinjin questioned out of nowhere, leaning in between Vega and I.

"Yeah. Do you know one?" Vega asked him.

"Nope," he answered, walking away. Useless weirdo. Vega's brows furrowed.

"Yeah, I don't seem so weird anymore, do I?" Robbie pointed out. I actually had to agree with him. Sinjin was weirder by far.

"What did you say, girl pants?" Rex mocked. Girl pants or no, he still wasn't as weird.

"All right, you gotta work on this resume," Andre stated, looking up from it.

"Why? What's wrong with it?" Vega questioned, picking up a copy to go over it.

"You only have one play on here," Robbie said.

"Well that's all I've been in," Vega responded.

"So?" Robbie deflected.

"Just say you've acted in more stuff," Andre suggested. Vega paused and I looked to her. It wasn't bad advice.

"Lie?" she inquired.

"Yes," I confirmed.

"It's not really lying," Beck amended.

"It's exaggerating," Rex corrected. Beck gestured to him in agreement.

"Did I mention the clown was my cousin Jesse?" Cat mentioned.

"Color the pretty tiger," I told her, voice terse. A bit of worry creased her brows at my tone and she sighed but she did as she was told.

"So, back to my resume," Vega redirected.

"You got to add more things under special skills," Andre said. I nodded.

"Yeah, you put bike riding as a special skill. Who can't ride a bike?" I remarked.

"Take a guess," Rex hinted. Robbie quickly covered his mouth.

"Can you keep any secret?" he said, mortified. Rex tried to talk through his hand but everything came out muffled.

"So what 'special skills' should I add?" Vega asked us, air quoting.

"Gymnastics," Andre answered.

"Martial arts," Beck supplied.

"Sky diving," Robbie added. Oh, I got a good one.

"Flirtatious hair flipping," I stated, smirking at her. I would know. She couldn't deny that.

"Ok, I do not flip my hair flirtatiously," Vega denied, as expected.

"Oh, really? This doesn't look familiar?" I began, easily switching into an accent I knew would do nothing but irritate her.

"Oh hello boys. My name is Tori Vega. Buy me some licorice and I'll give you a kiss," I teased, flipping my hair while I was at it. Vega wasn't amused.

"I talk **nothing** like that. Seriously, do I talk anything like that?" she asked everyone. I waited for them to side with me, knowing it would just be more fun that way. I smirked when they each did their own versions of her. I grinned when she frowned at me accusingly before covering her face with her headshot. I might like her but it was way too fun to ever stop teasing her.

**~Tori~**

The days leading up to my audition were nerve-wracking. I kept hoping I wouldn't mess up since I would be handed the script on the spot. The gang did a good job of encouraging me and helping me edit my resume, despite all the teasing. I knew they meant well. Even Jade. Speaking of which, we finally got around to that sushi lesson. She came over one day with everything we would need. She seemed so serious and it made me cautious that she wasn't in a good mood or that she was forcing herself to go through with it. In the end she admitted that it was a front to make me uncomfortable. I got her back though. Sticky rice was not easy to remove from one's shirt. After she pelted me with sushi rolls as revenge we cleaned up and ate what was left. It was nice. I definitely felt less stressed about the audition I was going into the next day.

* * *

Yikes! I'm about to AUDITION

for a REAL MOVIE! Ahhhh!

Feeling: Terrified

* * *

Surprisingly, but not really, Jade drove me to my audition. Cat tagged along, eager to hang out. As much as I would have wanted to spend more time alone with Jade I liked that Cat came too. She was a good balance to Jade's temper and it was fun to see her motherly side when applied to Cat, even if she agitated her more often than not. When it was my turn to go in they waited outside for me. They were quite a pair. Cat in a superhero costume she crafted herself and Jade in head to toe black. One smiling without a care in the world and the other frowning with her arms crossed. They were the exact opposite of each other. Some time ago Jade made Cat color again while she gave me what she thought was a pep talk. So much for that. I entered the room and introduced myself before I was given the script. I began to work through it but I had to stop when the door opened and Cat peeked in.

"How's your audition going?" she loudly whispered. What was she doing here?

"I'm in the middle of it," I told her, tone strained.

"That's so exciting!" Cat replied, awed. I was just about to tell her to get out when Jade beat me to it.

"Cat, get over here," I heard her order in a strict tone.

"But…" Cat began.

"Now," Jade practically growled. Cat wilted and made a sad whoosh sound, mimicking flying off. I shut the door behind her. I caught a bit of Jade lecturing her followed by something to do with the coloring book she used to keep Cat entertained before it was quiet again. I smiled hesitantly, embarrassed.

"I'm so sorry. Where were we?" I asked, looking through the script.

"I really don't need to see anymore," the director told me. Aw man.

"Oh, you don't?" I repeated, at a loss for words.

"You're a fantastic actor," he said. I instantly felt elated.

"Really?" I made sure. He nodded.

"So I got the part?" I checked next.

"No," he declined.

"Oh," I said, my smile all but obliterated.

"But only because you look too much like the star," he explained. That wasn't so bad. At least it wasn't because I didn't do well. Still, I wish I got the part.

"Ok. That's…I totally get it," I accepted, nodding.

"But…" he began, picking up my resume.

"But? But what?" I shouted, hopeful. I realized how desperate I sounded and scaled it back.

"I'm sorry. I seem too eager, don't I? But what?" I revised, toning it down.

"How would you like to be a stunt double?" he offered.

"A st-stunt…a stunt double?" I stuttered. He nodded. It was like my brain couldn't contemplate what he was asking. I wanted to be a part of the movie, but as a stunt double? I couldn't do that! Well…maybe it wouldn't be so hard? I really wish I hadn't listened to the advice to 'exaggerate' my resume. It really was lying. The door opened again and Cat came in carrying the coloring book. She giggled as she presented it.

"Look! I made my tiger purple," she announced, pointing at it. I exchanged a hesitant glance with the director, hoping this didn't affect my eligibility. I might actually be considering the whole stunt double thing.

"That doesn't happen in nature," Cat continued when she didn't get a reaction from us. Jade stomped in at that moment, slender eyebrows at a sharp slant down over her nose. She looked murderous.

"Cat, if you aren't out this door by the time I count to three **you'll** be purple," she threatened. Cat gasped, freezing on the spot. The director raised a brow at the scene unfolding in front of him.

"One. Two…" Jade started. Cat squeaked and ran out the door.

"I take my eyes off her for ten seconds and she disappears," Jade grumbled to herself, shutting the door. I smiled uncertainly and shrugged my shoulders, unable to explain the wacky situations my friends and I often found ourselves in. Granted, we ended up putting ourselves in those situations, but that wasn't the point. Thankfully, it didn't make them rethink their offer. When they ran it by me again I hesitated only a second before agreeing.

**~Jade~**

I had to constantly reassure Vega that everything would be fine the whole way to her house. I dropped off Cat first before booting Vega out of the car. She seemed to want more reassurance but I didn't have any tolerance to spare after dealing with Cat during the audition. I had no clue how she kept sneaking off as soon as my eyes weren't on her. She was such a kid sometimes. The next day I didn't see Vega anywhere and had a feeling she was somewhere bugging about the whole thing. I saw that I was right when I entered Sikowitz's class. She couldn't seem to concentrate on the lesson.

Vega, Beck, Andre, and I stayed for lunch, hanging around while Vega explained to Sikowitz how the audition went. He listened while drilling holes in coconuts, harvesting the juice or milk or whatever into jars. I really didn't care. I sat next to Beck and leaned back in my seat with my feet propped up on Vega's chair. She looked like she wanted to push them off, since they did take up most of the room, but instead she shifted them so that they rested on her lap. While she talked she fiddled with the laces of my boots and I snipped at the ends of my hair.

"So I said ok," Vega finished the story tenuously. Yep. She was still worried.

"Really? I had no idea you did stunt work," Sikowitz commented.

"I don't! I'm not a stunt double," Vega replied, lifting a hand only to let it fall hard on my boot. I looked up with a frown but her eyes were on our teacher.

"Then why did you accept the job?" he asked.

"I don't know. Because I'm stupid," she concluded with a sigh.

"I've been telling you people she's stupid, but did anyone believe me?" I remarked offhandedly. Beck nudged me. Vega shot me a look before dumping my feet on the floor and standing up. I probably deserved that. I couldn't quite get rid of my negative creative comments when it came to her, but it was a natural reaction I was trying to at least lessen as much as I could. I had to start somewhere.

"All right, wait. Why did they even offer you a job as a stunt double?" Andre questioned. Vega turned to him.

"Because of my resume. Under special skills I put gymnastics and karate and that made them think I could do stunts," she answered.

"See? You should never lie on your resume," I told her, eyes never leaving the strand of hair getting snipped off between the sharp scissor blades. I didn't see it but I knew her face was all scrunched up with irritation. I glanced at Beck to see him trying to hold back a smile. I couldn't help but look up when Vega remained quiet only to see the exact expression I knew would be there. I smirked, amused.

"Well that's not a pretty face," I observed, making it sound playfully teasing. I wasn't trying to be mean that time. I also wasn't lying. It wasn't pretty. It was endearing. Vega sighed loudly and turned to Sikowitz.

"Will you please just call your casting director friend and get me out of this?" she pleaded.

"Mmm, you might not want to do that," Beck spoke up.

"Why not?" she responded, turning to him.

"You wanna get blackballed in Hollywood?" I questioned, glancing at her before going back to my hair.

"What do you mean blackballed?" she wondered. How did she not know these things?

"In this town everybody knows everybody," Andre started to explain.

"You make people mad…word gets around," Sikowitz added.

"And then no one will hire you," Beck finished.

"Great, so what do I do? Get black balled or do a stunt and get my face smashed?" she pondered hopelessly. I sat forward, leaning on my crossed legs.

"I think…you should do both," I suggested, smirking when her eyes flashed.

"You know…" she started to say, a fierce expression pushing at her features. I really wanted to know what she was going to say but Sikowitz cut in.

"Stunt doubles rarely get injured," he said.

"Yeah, but-" Vega stammered, the angry flare gone.

"And you told them you'd do it," Andre pointed out.

"Which is a commitment. And making a commitment is like…well take this coconut for example. Brown. Spherical. Covered with short, fibrous hairs that…" he rambled, suddenly lost in thought. I flicked my gaze to him. Where was he going with all this?

"What were we talking about?" he asked. I rolled my eyes. Vega pushed her hair back and moved to take her seat again. I promptly replaced my feet on her lap. She looked agitated to see them there but left them alone, resting her hands on them and raising a brow at me. I only smiled innocently, comfortable.

"So. What's the stunt you're supposed to do anyway?" Beck asked her. She sighed like she was tasked with something life threatening.

"Fall off a chair," she finally stated. That was it? That was what she was scared to do?

"Fall off a chair?" Andre repeated, incredulous.

"That's the big stunt you're buggin' about?" I inquired.

"Ha. Ya big baby," Sikowitz scoffed. Vega's brows creased in that way I became fond of again. How was I supposed to curb my insults and teasing when that was the reaction I would get every time?

"Well, it could be dangerous and I'm not a professional stunt girl. I don't know how to fall off a chair and make it look real. And what if-" she babbled, lifting her hands as she spoke. I took the opportunity to shove her off her seat with a boot to her side. She screamed in shock and hit the ground, hands out to soften the fall. See, she would do fine.

"Looked good to me," I said with a shrug. She propped herself up with another glare directed at me.

"Don't you ever get tired of picking on me?" she demanded. I shook my head with a smile.

"Not at all," I replied. The bell rang and I stood up after putting away my scissors. I then strode over to hold out a hand to Vega. She eyed it suspiciously so I shook it at her.

"Take it or leave it. I'm not gonna stand here all day," I told her. She reached up and slipped her hand in mine, gripping it tight. I yanked her off the floor in one fluid pull. She stumbled once she was on her feet and I steadied her before she could fall on me. That wouldn't be good. She smoothed out her shirt and I dusted off her shoulder. I could see the small smile she was holding back and felt I did enough to keep her from getting too upset with me so I turned away to get my bag. I rested the strap over my shoulder and left the room, not bothering to wait for anyone. We each had separate classes after lunch anyway.

**~Tori~**

* * *

Well, I now have a BOOT PRINT

on MY RIGHT KIDNEY.

Thank you, Jade

Feeling: Sore

* * *

I groaned as I walked toward the exit, rubbing at my side. I wasn't too happy that school was over. That just meant that I had to perform my stunt. I barely posted my recent update when it chimed with a notification that someone left a comment on it. I checked it to see that it was from Jade.

"'You're ever so welcome.'" I read, wondering why she worded it in such a weird way. I mean, I knew why she said it, but that wasn't how she talked. It took me a second, but when I understood I stopped mid step.

"I don't talk like that!" I shouted at the device in my hand, as if it was my phone's fault.

"Oh I know. By the way, do you regularly yell at your phone like that?" Jade's voice questioned. I jumped at how close it sounded and spun around to see she wasn't there. A breath hit my neck and chills flew down my back. I spun around again, quickly so she couldn't trick me again.

"Will you quit it?" I snapped at her.

"Quit what?" she wondered, playing ignorant. I began walking again and she fell into step with me.

"Messing with me," I answered, irritable.

"I'm not messing with you," she said with a shake of her head.

"Yes you are," I insisted, pushing open the door and stepping outside. She held it open before it could shut and kept up with me.

"No, I'm being playful," she corrected.

"Playful?" I stated, stopping to look at her in disbelief. Jade and playful didn't often go together. She nodded slowly.

"Yeah. Isn't that what friends do? They joke around?" she inquired. I quirked a brow, wondering if she was messing with me again or not.

"I guess…" I responded, uncertain.

"Ok then," she concluded.

"But are you really?" I wondered.

"Am I really what?" she replied.

"Being…playful," I said with a pause, still unable to believe it. She tilted her head, a thoughtful expression on her face. A small smile pulled at the corner of her lips before a bigger one took its place. Her eyes found mine and I was struck by the way she looked at me. It was almost…flirtatious.

"Yeah," she reaffirmed. The tone of her voice sounded honest and hearing it made me drop my guard. Why did she have to be such a pain in the butt one moment and then the most attractive person in the world the next?

"Fine," I settled, clearing my throat and pointedly averting my gaze.

"Good. So I decided I would take you to the movie set and save you unneeded trouble from the talentless Vega," she mentioned, starting to walk to her car. When I heard the offer I began to follow her. I never turned down a ride from someone other than Trina. We reached her car when a thought occurred to me.

"When you call Trina the talentless one it implies that you think I have talent," I pointed out, smiling. She looked over the car at me, something like realization in her eyes.

"I don't think that all. If you want to be so technical then I guess I could start calling you the talentless Vega and I could call her the more-talentless-than-her-annoying-sister Vega," she countered, plopping in the car right after she said it. To anyone else she would have sounded serious, but I knew she didn't mean it. I climbed in the car with a laugh.

"Sounds like a mouthful," I remarked.

"It is. So don't make me have to get technical and just let me call you whatever the chiz I want. Preferably just Vega," she responded, buckling up and starting the car. I grinned and carefully reached over to place my hand over hers where it rested on the gear stick. She glanced at our hands before looking at me.

"I like when you call me Vega. No one else does," I confided. She fought off a small smile as well as what looked like a blush then threw my hand off hers.

"Move out of the way. I can't drive with you in my space," she grumbled. I chuckled and wondered if she meant that in more ways than was obvious. How interesting would that be if I could fluster Jade West? It seemed unthinkable, but maybe it was possible. She drove in silence until I had to give her directions. We got out and headed in. Jade stood off to the side as soon as I was spotted. I was taken to wardrobe and then led on set shortly after. I was directed to a table set up on a balcony where the star and costar was talking to the director.

"Ah, there she is, uh…" he began.

"Tori," I reminded him.

"Tori, right. Patrice, this is your stunt double," he said, moving aside to introduce me to the star.

"Hi. I'm gonna fall off your chair," I greeted, shaking her hand.

"I appreciate it," she replied, patting the seat before walking away.

"Ok, is this our girl?" someone asked.

"Yeah. This is our stunt coordinator, Gene," the director said. I reached out to shake his hand.

"Good to meet you. Really simple stunt," he told me.

"Right. Really simple stunt," I repeated.

"You got your chair right here," he gestured.

"My chair right there," I said, pointing.

"Which you're going to sit on," he continued.

"I'll sit on it," I said, trying to remain calm.

"When the director calls action you just fall off the chair," he instructed. I nodded.

"I fall off the chair," I agreed. Huh. Not so bad. I shouldn't have worried so much.

"Through that railing drop forty feet and hit the ground down there," he said, leaning over to point at the actual drop I had to make. The director made a sound similar to falling and hitting the ground but it didn't really register through the fear.

"Through the…and drop…and hit the…" I gasped, walking over to see just how far the ground was from where I stood. My stomach fluttered with nerves. We were really high up. Was I really going to go through with this?

"I have to fall all the way down there?" I questioned, my voice high with fright.

"On to the air sack," Gene assured, gesturing to it. I looked down to see the crew setting it up. I squeaked. That didn't make it any better. What if I missed? What if it popped when I hit it or something?

"Just don't miss the sack like the last stunt double," someone commented behind us. I gasped louder and the director yelled at the crewmate to leave. Oh my gosh. I really could miss it.

"Wait, wait, wait! The last stunt double missed the sack?!" I panicked.

"Just by a few feet," the director placated. Like that made a difference!

"Hey, put the air sack in the right place, would you?" Gene called down to the crew. I was not liking this at all.

"And get that dried blood off the floor," the director ordered, walking away. My mouth dropped open. The crewmate scuffed his boot over the smear and I whimpered. I was not doing this. I turned to Gene, ready to tell him that I wasn't going to do it and risk getting blackballed, but the director got a phone call which he ended to explain that his son was bitten by monkeys at the zoo and they had to postpone the shoot so he could go to the hospital and see him. I cheered for the monkeys and happily ran off stage, grabbing my things on the way out. I hope they didn't mind me borrowing the dress because I didn't have time to change. I was getting out of there. I found Jade outside sitting on the hood of her car. She looked up when I approached. I didn't miss the way she appraised my change of clothes.

"When did you come out here?" I asked.

"A few minutes after I walked you in. So did you do it?" she responded.

"It got postponed," I replied, running around to yank at the passenger door like someone was about to show up and drag me back inside. Jade quirked a brow but shrugged and hopped off the hood to unlock the car. She didn't question me about it and dropped me off without really saying anything besides a good-bye. She seemed so reserved it made me suspicious. Oh well. It probably wasn't anything.

* * *

OMG! I was just saved by mean

Monkeys I don't even know!

THANK YOU MONKEYS!

Feeling: Relieved

* * *

I arrived at school the next day worrying about the stunt. I got out of it for now but it was just moved back. Sooner or later I had to go through with it. Jade caught up to me between class and I waited for the inevitable.

"I might have seen and heard a little more than I initially owned up to before," she mentioned.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You were going to chicken out but that monkey mishap saved you. What will you do next time? Run and hide?" she elucidated, making sure to throw a joke in while she was at it. Oh great. Was she going to bug me about it now?

"Monkey mishap?" Beck wondered, having overheard when we passed him. Yes, saved again. He draped an arm over Jade's shoulders and I distracted myself from noticing the contact by explaining what happened, but then Andre and Robbie wandered over so I had to start over.

"Wait, who got bit by monkeys?" Rex inquired.

"The director's kid," I answered.

"Did he taunt the monkeys?" Rex asked next. What did that matter?

"I don't think you should do the stunt," Andre advised.

"I have to. I'll get blackballed in Hollywood if I back out!" I reminded him. I fiddled with my water bottle fretfully and sighed.

"I don't want to get blackballed," I mumbled sadly.

"Then just do it," Robbie said. Like it was that simple.

"And what if I end up in the hospital?" I questioned.

"Well maybe you'll meet a handsome young doctor, get married, and share a soda pop," Jade suggested, using that voice again. I really should have seen that coming.

"I don't talk like a movie star from the 1940's!" I shouted at her. She gasped dramatically with a hand over her heart, acting offended like said movie star. I just rolled my eyes. Footsteps behind me made me turn around. It was Cat, but why was she dressed liked that? It was oddly familiar.

"Oh my God, I love your dress," Cat complimented.

"Thanks. It's what I wear in the movie. When I die," I stated certainly.

"Um, Cat, what up with the crazy costume?" Andre asked her.

"I'm Sikowitz!" she announced, dancing around. That was why it looked so familiar. Also, why she was carrying a coconut with a straw in it. It was a slight distraction though and the fear of my demise quickly took over, affecting the words already falling from my mouth.

"That's a great costume. Maybe you can dress me for my funeral?" I remarked.

"I could so do that," Cat agreed, not at all fazed. I frowned.

"Dramatic much?" Jade commented. I spun on her.

"Says the one who can do a perfect impression of a forties movie star better than me," I retorted. She wasn't affected by my ire either. Figures.

"Come on, now. There's not gonna be a funeral," Andre cut in.

"Aww," Cat pouted. I looked at her like she was crazy. Jade and Beck smiled while my frown grew.

"We're all gonna come down to set, keep you cool, and watch you land safe and sound right on that air sack," Andre continued, chill. Well, it was easy for him to say. He wasn't the one doing it. Despite that I smiled at his sincerity.

"Unless you miss it," he joked. Okay, that wasn't cool. In fact, all cool just left the building. He might as well be Jade attempting a joke that didn't really seem like a joke.

"I don't think you'll miss it," he said, uncomfortable when he garnered no laughter. I was just contemplating snapping at him too when Sikowitz strode down the hall. He saw Cat and slowed to a stop, confused yet curious. Every movement he made Cat copied exactly. I didn't know how she did it but she ended up freaking Sikowitz out. He quickly ran out the door to the stares of some students.

**~Jade~**

If I thought Vega was annoyingly bright and cheery before then I underestimated how annoying she could be when she was scared and panicky. If she didn't relax she just might give herself a heart attack. Contrary to popular belief, I didn't want that to actually happen. Which is why I was stuck in my head for most of the time I was supposed to be hanging out with Beck in his RV.

"You think she'll be fine?" he asked me, watching me closely from his seat across from me. I sat on the opposite end of the couch, deep in thought until he spoke.

"She better, or a certain director will have more than monkeys to worry about," I promised. Beck raised a brow at that but said nothing. I had been searching my brain for an idea, wondering if there was any way Vega didn't have to go through with the stunt. If she really didn't want to do it then I could easily provide her with a way out. I just had to think, and not about how soft I was getting. I glanced at Beck and an idea popped in my head. Beck loved being on set. He loved being in movies and acting. Beck could stand in for Vega. All he needed was a costume and I knew just where to get it.

"Hey," I began.

"Yeah?" he replied, giving me his attention.

"On a scale from one to ten, how willing would you be to wear a dress?" I questioned casually. It took a while for him to follow my train of thought, but when he did a boyish grin lit up his face.

"Aww, you really do care about her," he teased, poking at me. I smacked away his hand.

"The only one who should be allowed to give her a heart attack is me. Now let's call up Cat and get this over with," I ordered. He gave me a salute and I made the call. Belatedly I wondered if I should be concerned that Beck was willing to wear a dress. Eventually I shrugged it off. He was an actor. They did what they had to for their craft. I told Cat to make the costume we needed in Beck's size and made sure she brought it with her when we all went down to set. She complied without questioning me but I had a feeling she knew what I was planning.

When we got there she took the box backstage and Beck went with her. I walked in flexing my hand. I drove Vega again and I even let her squeeze the chiz out of my hand. She had a strong grip. She was taken to change not too long after we arrived. She glanced back at me, pleading for help, but all I gave her was a thumbs up. She groaned but let herself be led away. The director finally noticed us and we were fitted with passes that gave us permission to be on set as visitors. Rex made a big deal out of not getting one so we had to listen to him whine over it.

"I've never been treated so disrespectfully," he complained.

"Will you just calm down?" Robbie told him.

"No. I'm outraged," he refused. I shook my head and tucked a hand in my pocket, leaning on my right leg.

"You don't need a visitor's pass," Andre said, plucking at the one he wore.

"You and Robbie got visitor's passes. The wicked witch here got a visitor's pass," Rex carried on. I bristled and unclipped my pass from the pocket of my pants.

"Here," I bit out, clipping it on Rex. He started screaming and Robbie rushed to remove it. I grinned. I might have put it where the sun don't shine just to spite him.

"You are twisted," Andre commented.

"Hey, I could have shoved it up his-" I replied, my words cut off when I happened to spot Vega on the balcony. She was going up already? Cat skipped over in a tux, bringing my attention to her. It looked like she brought a costume for herself too.

"Hi!" she greeted.

"Yay, Cat made another costume," I deadpanned.

"Look! I'm Cat, international spy," she introduced herself, making a gun with her hand along with shooting sounds. I really wish I had that coloring book on hand. Cat saw our expressions and her smile dropped.

"It's not real," she informed us, pointing at her hand.

"No, really? I couldn't tell," I said, sarcasm laced in every word.

"Oh, well, good thing I told you then!" Cat chirped, giggling. I narrowed my eyes at her but stopped myself from saying anything.

"So when does Tori do her fall?" Cat asked, looking to Andre. Just then she got her answer when they announced they were going to start.

"Oh, here we go," Andre said, looking up with everyone else. I scowled and crossed my arms. If Vega went through with it and something happened to her I was going to hunt Beck down and-oh, look. Vega seemed ready to bolt all on her own. Robbie, Andre, and Cat gave her a thumbs up but I mimicked her hitting the ground, smacking my hands together. The angry snarl she let out made me smirk. I liked getting her angry for the fun of it but also to see that feisty side of her. Commands were called out and everyone took their positions. Vega slowly took her seat.

She picked up her phone and made a call. Andre's phone went off. I listened as she begged him to get her out of it but he was told to shut off his phone and he immediately listened. I could see the sad look on Vega's face from where I stood. They began soon after, the director asking if Tori was ready. She answered that she was but she didn't sound at all confident. The first take was a bust. Here I was, expecting her to plummet forty feet, and she threw herself the other way. She tried to play it off but she ended up having to do it again the right way. The second take was an obvious stall. Pee-minder? Really?

"Back in a sec!" Vega shouted, running off.

"Pee-minder?" Robbie whispered, interested.

"You should download that," Rex suggested.

"Yeah, you should," I agreed, glancing back at him. No, really, he should. That boy had so many problems. I pulled out my phone when I got a text from Beck. He was ready. It was about time. I sent a message to Vega, telling her to meet with Beck. She came running out seconds later.

"Over there," I directed her, pointing to the left. Luckily she didn't question me and took off in the direction I mentioned. Beck would take it from there.

**~Tori~**

Needless to say I kept worrying up until I was back at the movie set, minutes away from having to perform the stunt. Jade tried to make me feel better and even offered to hold my hand but I didn't think that offer would ever be made again. Especially since I think I might have crushed it a bit too hard. I wanted to stay positive as I got ready to do the shot but negativity just kept rolling in. I had a feeling it wasn't going to end well.

* * *

I'm about to fall off a chair, then

DROP 40 FEET. I'll miss you, life.

Feeling: Doomful

* * *

I finally decided that I couldn't do it. So I begged Andre for help and then started stalling when that didn't work. I was surprised but grateful when Jade got a hold of me.I didn't stop to wonder why she wanted me to meet with Beck. I was just hoping it would get me out of doing the stunt. I ran around the corner and stopped backstage, calling for Beck. A vaguely feminine voice answered me and then Beck walked out dressed in the clothes I was wearing. He was even wearing make-up! Wow.

"Beck?" I questioned.

"I'm not Beck. I'm you," he corrected, moving to stand in front of me. How was he walking in heels so well?

"Wait, but, but how did you…? Where did you get that dress?" I stammered.

"Cat made it," he answered, posing. He looked me over and then held a hand to my forehead.

"Are you sweating?" he asked.

"Yeah. I think I'm having an anxiety attack. I don't wanna do the stunt. I'm scared," I answered. I felt kinda sick too.

"It's ok. I got this," he replied, reaching up to take off the shades I wore.

"Wait…what are you…?" I struggled to comprehend. Was he going to do what I think he was going to do?

"Shh, wait here," he told me, jogging out. For a while all I could think about was how easily he ran in heels. It helped that he had a longer stride, I guess. He could cover more ground. He had to have practiced at some point though. And then there was my second thought which I voiced out loud.

"Wow. Do I look that good running away?" I wondered, turning to run in place while straining to see over my shoulder. Too bad I couldn't see much.

**~Jade~**

I messed around on my phone to kill time, gritting my teeth at the latest argument between the nerd and his doll. He was really trying to search the app store for the clearly made up app Vega mentioned as a last ditch effort to get out of doing the stunt.

"They don't have Pee-minder. All I can find is Tinkle Time," Robbie said.

"I got Squirt Alert," Andre mentioned. Was he looking too? I gave him a look and he shrugged.

"There goes Tori," he pointed out. I looked up just in time to see Beck run past. Wow. He handled those heels pretty well.

"Yeah. She's so cute when she's running away," Robbie sighed. I held back any reaction but Cat started giggling.

"Yeah. 'She' is," she agreed, giggling again. I warned Cat with a raised brow but all it did was make her laugh harder. As long as she didn't say anything. At least, not until the stunt was performed. Robbie gave me a questioning look but I shrugged and went back to my phone. The director asked if 'she' was ready and Beck replied in a terrible girl voice. The one I used to tease Vega sounded closer to her than that. I shook my head but watched and waited while Cat stifled more giggles. The director went through the scene again and Beck acted it out. He took the fall and was helped up after he hit the air sack at the bottom. Everyone applauded. Heck, so did I. Beck just pulled off being Vega when it so obviously wasn't her. That alone was hilarious.

"Thanks everyone! Be right back!" he said, quickly making himself scarce. Cat squealed and looked back at me. I pretended like I knew nothing was going on. Vega came running out with a cheer, bringing my attention to her.

"Did everyone enjoy my stunt? I know I did!" she shouted. I could see and hear the relief in her voice. Cat squealed again and ran at her for a hug. Andre gave her one next. I walked up to her and threw an arm over her shoulder.

"I **loved** the stunt. You had such a drastic change of heart it was almost as if you were a different person," I remarked, making sure only she heard. Her smile fell a little and she opened her mouth to no doubt question me but I stepped away before she could, crossing my arms.

"See, it wasn't so bad, was it?" the director asked, pushing his way over.

"No, it was…fun," Vega replied, forcing out the words.

"You wanna do another take?" he questioned.

"No, I do not," she declined. Of course she didn't.

"Good job, Vega," I told her, turning away to find Beck. She gave me a fleeting yet searching look before she was pulled into a hug from Robbie. I found Beck backstage dressed in his own clothes. He was busy trying to clean off the make-up. I tapped him on the shoulder and held out my hand when he turned around. He handed over the tissue he was using and I tossed it before sitting him down so that I could remove the make-up properly. What a day.

**~Tori~**

* * *

Wooo! I did my stunt. Kinda.

Sorta. Well…ah, shut up.

Feeling: Guilty

* * *

As soon as I got home from the shoot I started feeling guilty for chickening out. The feeling only escalated by the time I was walking into school the next day. It didn't help when Jade kept dropping hints.

"Is there something you wanna tell me?" I finally asked at one point between classes.

"Nope," she answered.

"You sure?" I checked.

"Positive," she confirmed. I stared a moment and she smiled back in that fake innocent way.

"You know something," I accused.

"Maybe. Actually, I'm surprised Cat hasn't blabbed yet," Jade said, moving to lean on the lockers.

"Cat made the dress for Beck. Of course she would know. But you know and you just said Cat didn't blab so how do you know?" she interrogated.

"No, I meant that Cat didn't blab to you," I corrected. Vega looked confused.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I came up with the idea for Beck to take your place and had Cat make him a dress," Jade revealed, like it wasn't a big deal.

"You…" I whispered, surprised but pleasantly so. I thought Beck was behind it and asked Cat for help but it turned out that Jade was the one to suggest it. I grinned and her unaffected expression showed some concern.

"Vega, no," she warned, knowing as well as I did that she was about to get hugged. I chased her down the hall and caught up with her at Sikowitz's classroom which happened to be our destination. She hid behind Beck, but when he saw me he stepped out of the way. Jade glared daggers at him while I held onto her. It felt good to have her in my arms. Jade threw quiet threats over my shoulder at Beck the whole time until class began and I had to let her go. We took our seats and Sikowitz came in. The rest of the day passed by normally but I returned to Sikowitz after school. I wanted to make up for my cowardice and go through with the stunt. But first I needed Sikowitz to contact his friend and ask to use the set. When I entered it was to see him suspended upside down from the ceiling. He was probably trying to prove another point. I didn't try to understand all the strange things he did. It was a little hard to take him seriously like that but I still managed to ask. He denied me the first time so I tried again.

"Please," I begged.

"Why?" he questioned, crossing his arms.

"'Cause I'm mad at myself for chickening out. I feel like a weenie," I admitted. It was sweet of Jade to help me but I really shouldn't have backed out in the first place. I should have just sucked it up and did it.

"The world needs weenies. Without weenies who would wear turtlenecks?" Sikowitz replied. Didn't Robbie wear turtlenecks? I dismissed the thought and got back on track.

"I gotta do the stunt," I told him, resolute.

"Look, why don't you just-" he began, but I wouldn't let him turn me away.

"Come on. Just call your casting director friend and get us on the set. Please," I pleaded, puppy dog eyes added in.

"Very well," he conceded, pulling out his phone.

"Yay! Thanks," I cheered, clapping my hands.

"Hey, why are you upside down?" I wondered.

"Why are you right side up?" he countered. Huh. After the call was made he said that we could stop by the set after school. I thanked him again then rushed out to find Trina before she ditched me. Jade didn't stick around so I couldn't get a ride from her. She probably didn't want to risk anymore hugs. That was fine. I would be seeing her soon anyway. That is, if she got my text and agreed to meet us at the movie set again. Trina dropped me off and I joined the gang waiting outside. I was happy to see that Jade was present.

"Ready for the real deal?" Beck asked. I was nervous again but I was also determined.

"Yep," I responded with a nod. He smiled and patted my shoulder. We walked in and were greeted by the crew who were the only ones around cleaning up after a day of shooting. Everyone stood to the side as before while I took my place up on the forty foot high balcony. Oh man, it felt worse than before. I glanced down at the air sack below. Ok, just jump. Jump. The gang started cheering for me and I felt slightly better.

"It's a long fall," Jade called out. Yeah, like I needed that reminder.

"'Kay. Here I go," I announced, stepping toward the edge before skittering back again.

"Here I go. Ugh, I can't do it!" I shouted, getting the same result. I saw Jade roll her eyes and then stride away. Where was she going? Wait, wasn't that the way up here? It looked different from this perspective. I could be wrong. She was most likely leaving. That made more sense.

"Ok, I'm going to count to three. No, no! Ten! I'm going to count to ten and then I'm gonna-" I planned, my words cut off when a hand pushed me from behind. I screamed and flailed my arms in an attempt to grab onto something. I reached back and snatched at air before snagging a sleeve. I heard another scream but it didn't come from me. I fell over the edge, turning on my back and seeing that I yanked Jade along with me. For once I saw fear in her expression. I hit the air sack and Jade landed next to me, catapulting me onto the hard floor with the sudden distribution of weight. I groaned and pushed myself up, glancing over at Jade who rolled off the air sack and picked herself up. Everyone ran over. For a brief moment I thought Jade was going to kill me dead, but she only smirked and shook her head. I smiled, allowing myself to enjoy the congratulations. I didn't technically jump on my own, but without some help from Jade I probably would have chickened out again. I held out my arms for a hug to show my gratitude but she crossed her arms and looked away.

"No," she refused.

"Come on," I coaxed, advancing on her.

"Vega," she cautioned, dropping her hands to her sides and adopting a defensive stance. I rushed her, grabbing her around the middle before she could escape. Almost effortlessly she hauled me clear off the floor and tossed me onto the air sack. I laid there, shocked at the turn of events, and then laughed. Jade stood over me with crossed arms and a scowl that was starting to waver. A smile was hidden just under the surface. She quirked a brow playfully when it broke through and then held out a hand. I took it and she helped me up. Together we joined the others, our hands still interlocked.


	22. Ice Cream for Kesha

**Yay! I got another one down! Aren't you proud of me? I've been super busy so I'm happy I found time to get this out.**

* * *

**~Tori~**

It was time for lunch and I was heading out with Andre. We each got something at the Grub Truck and then walked to our usual table. Andre was just about to tell me something when we overheard Robbie who was seated next to Cat.

"Robbie!" Cat yelled, smacking his arm.

"I want to live! There's things I've never tried, things I really, really, really wanna do," he defended himself while Andre and I sat down.

"What do you really, really, **really**, wanna do?" I questioned, looking to him.

"Uh, ride a pony. Take a cooking class," he began to answer, taking in our uninterested yet curious expressions. He hesitated.

"…other things," he mumbled. We took our eyes off Robbie to look at Andre who pulled out a single pint of ice cream and set it on the table.

"Just ice cream?" Cat asked.

"Uh huh," Andre confirmed, opening it.

"That's what you're going to eat for lunch?" Robbie inquired.

"Nope. It's been in my locker all day so I'm gonna drink it," he answered, doing so. Ew, warm, melted ice cream. Not the best.

"Why?" Cat questioned, confusion in her voice.

"'Cause I wanna meet Kesha," he responded. What did drinking melted ice cream have to do with that? Cat seemed to ask the same thing with the amount of confusion on her face. Andre dug inside the now empty pint and pulled out a red disk with a letter on it.

"Aw, dang it!" he shouted, unhappy.

"Kesha's not in there?" I teased, taking a bite of my lunch. He sighed heavily.

"No, I got another stupid 'K'," he replied, holding it up before tossing it over his shoulder. I watched it flip through the air and hit Sinjin in the face where he stood by the Grub Truck.

"Oh, is this about that contest?" Robbie asked.

"What?" I questioned, interested.

"Kesha's doing this thing with Lichterz ice cream," Robbie explained.

"See, there's a letter at the bottom of every pint. You either get a 'K', an 'E', a 'S', a 'H', or an 'A'," Andre continued.

"And, if you find the letters that spell Kesha, you win a private concert," Robbie finished.

"From Kesha?" I clarified in disbelief.

"Yup," Robbie said.

"So far this week I've eaten eleven pints of ice cream and all I've gotten are eleven K's! Ah!" Andre yelled, tossing the pint over his shoulder too. I watched with slight amusement as it landed on Sinjin's tray, splattering him in sauce from the spaghetti he was having for lunch. My gaze swept the area idly. It wasn't until a few seconds later when I realized what I was looking for, or more like who I was looking for.

"Robbie let a bunch of little kids eat me," Cat spoke up, changing the conversation. I let her odd sentence pull me back to the conversation.

"It's not my fault if dream children find you delicious!" Robbie told her, grabbing his things and getting up in a huff.

"Hey, Trina," he greeted when my sister came bounding past.

"I don't talk to you," she replied, making sure to pass him without any contact. I went back to my food, keeping my head down in hopes that Trina would pass us too.

"Hey Tori, I need your opinion," she stated, stopping to lean on our table. I looked at her. My opinion? When did she ever need that?

"On?" I questioned.

"Well, let's say a person made a deal with someone," she began, waving around a folded up yellow paper. Something about it looked familiar.

"What kind of deal?" Andre asked.

"Well, like, they promised to do something. Should that person have to keep their word?" Trina prompted. I thought about it, wondering what she was getting at. But my answer would still be the same.

"Yeah. A deal's a deal," I answered.

"Even if it was, like, ten years ago?" Trina wondered.

"Yes. You have to keep your word no matter how long ago it was," I told her, suddenly remembering the favor I owed Jade. I wondered when she intended to use it and what it would be used for. Hopefully not anything scary or dangerous. Or both.

"I'm so glad you feel that way, because maybe, you remember this from when you were six and I was seven," Trina said, walking over to me while unfolding the paper. She handed it to me and I took it, immediately suspicious. I gave it a look and Cat leaned over to see it too.

"Oh my god. I remember this," I mumbled, nostalgic.

"Just read it," Trina ordered, busting into my short walk down memory lane. I shot her a look but complied.

"'When I, Tori Vega, am sixteen years old I will be married to a handsome prince and we shall live in a magic sugar castle'," I read, chuckling at my younger self.

"That didn't happen," Andre pointed out. My smile dropped.

"I know that didn't happen," I replied, fully aware.

"Yeah, and read what you said you'd do if it didn't happen," Trina pressed on. I looked back at the paper.

"'I will be Trina's assistant and do whatever she says for a whole month'," I read on, slowing down as I did. I couldn't have agreed to that! Trina had to have written it!

"That's right!" Trina shouted happily.

"So? I wrote this when I was six," I dismissed, folding up the paper and tossing it on the table.

"Yeah, and who was it who said you have to keep your word no matter how long ago it was?" Trina reminded me. I chewed at the straw of my drink, bitter, but said nothing.

"Martin Luther King!" Cat shouted. I took the straw from my mouth to give her a questioning look.

"No, Martin Luther King gave a speech about having a dream," Andre corrected her.

"I had a dream. Kids ate me," Cat responded, suddenly serious. As always, we moved on.

"Don't worry, Tori. I'm not going to be unreasonable," Trina said, bringing me back to the situation at hand.

"Will you guys tell her she's being ridiculous," I asked, expecting some back up.

"Well, you did make a deal," Andre said.

"And you did say a person should keep her word," Cat added. Are you kidding me? Not even my friends are going to back me up? Trina could make me do anything, and knowing her, they were guaranteed to be unreasonable.

"Thank you Tori's friends," Trina said happily. What just happened? My own friends threw me to the shark.

"Oh, uh, here's a list of things you need to do for me," Trina said, pulling out a paper from the side pocket of her backpack and setting it in front of me. She already had one written out, which meant she was confident things would end up this way. Ugh!

"But-I don't-" I tried to say, grabbing it from the table.

"I'll have another list for you in the morning. Boo-bye!" she spoke over me, leaving as soon as the words were out. I glared at her as she walked away, feeling hopeless, and then looked down at the crumpled list.

"I have to pluck her toe hair?" I read, disgusted. Cat and Andre looked disgusted too. Yeah, well, if they had my back I wouldn't have to do this chiz! I groaned and stood up, no longer feeling like eating.

"Where are you going?" Andre inquired.

"Away," I managed to mumble through the distraught feeling taking over me. I gathered my things and threw away the last of my lunch then headed inside. I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to be Trina's servant, because that's what I would be. Assistant was too light of a word. I wandered the halls with my phone in hand, wondering if I should go through with what I wanted to do. In the end I typed out a message and hit send. In a matter of seconds I got a reply. I looked down at the words on the screen and couldn't help but smile. I told Jade what happened along with a picture of the list and asked what I should do.

She called Trina a gank and advised that I should tell her to take a hike. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't. My own words had bound me into servitude. I asked her what she would do in the situation. She said she wouldn't have set herself up in the first place, and if she did, she would simply refuse to do it. It was just like Jade to give that answer. Where was Jade anyway? I hadn't seen her very much today. I wanted to ask her but felt she wouldn't answer so I left it alone. With a sigh I decided to head to class. I still had the rest of the day to get through.

**~Jade~**

I pocketed my phone and looked up to see Beck looking at me with that stupid curious and expectant look on his face. He seriously had to stop doing that. Like I would tell him everything that happened between me and Vega. I hated how I essentially did.

"Was that Tori?" he asked, most likely already knowing. I glared at him and he laughed, taking that as a yes. Well, he wouldn't be wrong. Lately, Vega and I shot each other texts more than we ever had. It was like an update on how we were doing without openly asking. Beck was well aware of our unspoken arrangement.

"What did she say?" he asked next.

"She was venting about how Trina caught her in some deal they made ten years ago and how she's cashing in on it. So now she's Trina's servant for a month," I explained. He frowned.

"That sucks," he commented.

"Yeah. I told her to tell her talentless sister to take a hike, but you know Vega. She's too soft. She'd rather make herself unhappy than refuse someone else," I said, knowing that all too well. I put her through some things too. I wasn't proud of it now, but at the time I thought I had something over her. I could make her do what I wanted when I wanted, but the truth was, Vega was just that nice. It was horrible. She needed to grow a backbone. Or a stronger one at least.

"You aren't going to do anything, are you?" he inquired.

"Like what?" I responded.

"Like get back at Trina," he said. I fell quiet, thinking.

"Jade," he warned.

"If I was I wouldn't do anything too drastic," I settled. He shook his head at me but smiled.

"You're soft too," he said, nudging me with his shoulder. I made a sound of disgust and shoved him away.

"Don't ever say that again!" I yelled.

"Ok, how about just a small part of you?" he amended. I grumbled but couldn't disagree. When it came to Vega I wasn't the same, and we both knew it. There was no use denying it anymore.

**~Tori~**

After school I invited Andre over for some company in hopes that it would keep my mind off being Trina's servant. So far, it wasn't working. After all, he wasn't on my side when the dang deal was brought up. I looked to him where he sat across the table, digging into another pint of ice cream. I was messing with a toy missile launcher I found when I was digging through the garage for something Trina insisted that she needed. The toy had been mine several years back. I remember setting up targets to shoot at, enemies who would dare to trespass on my kingdom. That sometimes included Trina. It was put away when she took too many to the face and cried to mom and dad.

"Hey, look at me," I requested of Andre, readying myself for when he did. He barely got a word out before I shot the foam missile right at his face. Again. He had been my target since finding the toy. I had to admit, it felt pretty good. I also had to admit it was to get back at him for not defending me. I laughed and he cracked a smile.

"Yeah! Six for six!" I shouted, dancing in my seat.

"And how is this fun for me?" he wondered.

"You get to be the target, which means-" I started to answer.

"Tori!" Trina called suddenly. I groaned and shuddered unpleasantly.

"Tori!" Trina screeched again. I turned around to face her where she was laying on the couch. She had her headphones on and was eating a pickle, applying lip gloss after every bite.

"What?" I responded.

"I want something," she told me, taking a bite of the pickle. I exchanged a look with Andre. He shook his head minutely and I stood to stomp over to my annoying sister.

"How can I assist you?" I inquired.

"I don't like this song. I need you to change it," she ordered, pointing to her Pear Phone with the pickle.

"Your phone is right next to you," I replied.

"Yeah, but I have a pickle in this hand and a lip gloss in this one," she answered, like it was obvious. She then took a bite and applied lip gloss right after. I raised a brow and she stopped to look at me.

"Now change the song," she demanded.

"Put on Kesha. Maybe that will give my ice cream some luck," Andre suggested.

"You want some Kesha?" I asked Trina.

"Who puts ketchup on a pickle?" she replied.

"Keshaaaa," I clarified.

"Oh yeah, play a Kesha song," she agreed. I picked up her phone and got a song going then set it down.

"Good, now go," she ordered. My brows furrowed but I held in my agitation and walked away, shooting a glare at her over my shoulder every so often. I sat back down at the table, hands splayed across the top.

"How am I going to be her assistant for a month without ripping her head off?" I asked Andre. He was busy cleaning off another red disk with a letter on it.

"Oh yeah, baby!" he shouted, lifting it up.

"Ah! You got an 'A'!" I yelled happily.

"Yeah, I did," he said, hope in his eyes.

"Good, so now you have 'K' and 'A'," I remarked.

"All I need is an 'E', 'S', 'H', and I get a private concert from Kesha," he stated.

"You just need ESH," I told him.

"I need ESH real bad," he agreed. I picked up a pretzel from the bowl in front of me and lifted it to take a bite when Trina called me again. I dropped it with a roll of my eyes and stood up to go see what she wanted.

"Yes, how can I assist you?" I asked, tone a bit tense.

"I love this song! Put it on loop," she commanded. I picked up her phone and set it on loop when an idea came to me. I saw a way out. I turned down the song.

"Hey," I began. Trina stammered.

"Why'd you kill my volume?" she complained.

"You love Kesha?" I inquired, a finger raised.

"Yeah, so?" Trina said.

"If I can get Kesha to give you a private concert, right here in this house, then can I stop being your assistant?" I suggested. She didn't look convinced.

"Pfft, sure! But since you can't make that happen, put the song on loop then scurry off," she ordered, making a strange hand gesture.

"Ok," I replied simply, doing as I was told and walking away. As soon as I sat down I was assaulted by a foam missile. Andre cheered and threw up his fists. How dare he.

"Now it's fun," he said. His little dance made me laugh. I couldn't stay mad at him. Trina on the other hand, well, it looked like I had to get this concert or she would get all my wrath.

* * *

Andre shot my nose! Hahaha!

Now…MUST FIND LETTERS

TO SPELL KE$HA!

Feeling: Wild

* * *

**~Jade~**

It was starting to get late when the pleasant sound of glass shattering filled the room. I reached for my phone and saw that it was Vega. Of course it was. I opened the message to a long text explaining how she had to win that ice cream contest so she could be free of her servitude to Trina. It was an alright idea, but the odds didn't look great. It would be easier to just tell Trina off and be done with it. Another text came in asking if I could help clean out ice cream pints tomorrow in order to look for the letters. I debated declining, only because I helped out more than I should have in the past, but it was starting to get hard to say no to her stupid ideas. That wasn't good. I groaned to myself but agreed, if only to bother her all day. That would be fun. I went to bed replaying the last text I received from Vega. She was happy that I agreed to help and I could practically hear it. I rolled over and closed my eyes, willing myself to sleep so that I didn't think too much about it.

The next day I took my time finding something to eat and lazing around before getting ready. I wasn't going to be punctual. I arrived with Beck who was smiling the whole way there. He was all too happy to help and even happier that I had agreed too. We were welcomed in to see long rows of ice cream cartons set out everywhere, some empty and some full. The already found letters were propped up on a stand that sat on the piano. Cat, Robbie, and Andre were already there. Each of them were scraping out ice cream into large buckets. Vega ran over, flustered but grateful, and handed us each a spoon and a pint. The cold carton suddenly against my hand was soon contrasted by the warmth of Tori's fingers brushing mine as I took it from her. She offered me a grateful smile and I shrugged in response, taking a seat next to Beck on the couch. She ran off to continue digging through her own. Hours later it wasn't looking any better. Every letter we found was the same ones we already had.

"Ok, we're never going to spell Kesha," I spoke up.

"Why are there so many K's and A's?" Robbie questioned.

"I dunno, but we would be doing great if we were trying to win a private concert from Aka-aka-aka-ak," Tori joked. I rolled my eyes at her. Dork.

"I guess they gotta make some letters hard to find or everyone could win," Andre pointed out. I stabbed at the pint in my hand with the spoon and huffed out a breath.

"I'm sick of this! Ice cream reminds me of my childhood," I complained.

"You didn't have a happy childhood?" Cat asked, a bit hesitant. I glared and dug at the ice cream again. Beck looked to me while taking another bite of his own. Was he actually eating some of it?

"My favorite toy was a hammer. You finish the puzzle," I told her. Cat looked worried, her scoop held high as she froze. Vega paused to assess what I said, eyebrows raised. She mouthed the word 'wow'.

"You know, you don't have to help," Beck reminded me. I turned on him.

"Don't push me," I whispered under my breath. He knew why I was here. He knew I might not like it but I couldn't help it. I couldn't help doing what I could for her.

"What?" he replied, innocent as ever. I narrowed my eyes at him a moment longer before going back to scooping out more ice cream.

"But, if we win and Kesha does do a private concert here only the people who helped find the letters get to come," Vega explained.

"Only the people who help find the letters get to come," I mocked, using the accent that instantly got her fired up. She looked to me with that attractive crease between her brows and slightly parted lips. Her brown eyes sharpened with her glare.

"I don't talk like that!" she shouted. I returned her glare but smirked when she turned away, scooping out more ice cream and slinging it into the bucket in front of me. This was going to take forever. We kept at it a moment longer until Vega squealed her excitement. We all looked up.

"'E'! I got an 'E'!" she shouted. Everyone cheered. I was pretty sure I was the only one cheering because it meant we were one step closer and I could get out of here.

"Ok, ok, let's put it on the thing," Andre said, running over. They cheered again and went to give a high five but realized their hands were a mess and bumped elbows instead. Robbie stood and carried a full bucket of ice cream.

"Hey, where are you going?" Vega asked.

"I don't think we should waste all this ice cream so I'm going to take it down to that playground on the corner and give it to some little kids," he replied. That didn't sound creepy at all. Tori and Andre looked like they agreed.

"Uh, I don't know how kid's mothers are going to feel about a strange guy handing out ice-" Beck began, but I talked over him.

"Let him do it," I stated. He turned to me, saying something about being a terrible influence, but I continued to talk over him until my frustration silenced him. Geez, killjoy.

"Good luck," he finally said with a raise of his hands, surrendering. I grinned as Robbie headed out. And now we wait to see what happens.

"Ok, people. We find an 'S' and a 'H' and we got ourselves a private Kesha concert," Andre announced.

"And my freedom from Trina," Vega added. Everyone else cheered.

"Whatever," I said, gaining a frown from Vega. Hey, she should be lucky I was still there. Especially after we got back to it and didn't find anything new. After many hours it was getting tiring and we all shifted around. I perched on the divider between the living room and the kitchen, leaning back on the support beam. My back was killing me. The pillow I shoved behind me wasn't helping much.

"Ok, this is actually causing me pain. And not the good kind," I told them. Tori sat up to lift a brow at me and I shrugged indifferently.

"All we need is a 'S' and a 'H'. Is that so much to ask?!" Andre shouted at the ceiling, hands raised.

"I'm out of ice cream," Cat stated.

"Me too," Vega said. I took out my phone to get a hold of Beck. He was supposed to be out getting more.

"Beck will be back with more soon," I informed them. At that moment, Robbie came in. His shirt was torn, he was beat up, and his glasses were missing. He shut the door and stood there in what looked like shock.

"Robbie, what happened?" Vega asked, concerned.

"I went to the playground. I got off my bike and I yelled, 'Hey kids! Who wants some free ice cream?' And then their mothers chased me into an alley and beat me with sticks," he ranted as he paced across the room to stand in front of Vega. He then flopped onto the couch.

"Sticks?" Cat mumbled. I grinned widely and chuckled, amused.

"One big mom stepped on my neck," Robbie said. Vega reached over to rest her hand on his shoulder. I looked away, eyes on my phone again.

"You gotta love big moms," I commented. The back door opened and Beck came in.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Where's the ice cream?" Andre questioned.

"Yeah, didn't you get some more?" Vega joined in. Beck shook his head.

"Nope. Check Kesha's last update," he said, raising his phone. We each did as he said. Oh. That was why.

"'Congrats to the dude in Northridge who found all the letters and spelled out Kesha. Thanks for playing. Kesha later'," Vega read from her phone, voice turning small and hopeless.

"Contest over," Andre sighed.

"Great. I spent nine hours of my life violating pints of ice cream for nothing!" I shouted.

"Well I got stick beat by vicious mothers!" Robbie yelled.

"I hate everything," Vega whined. Cat stood up and walked over to comfort her.

"Don't be sad," she said. Vega jumped from her seat.

"I am sad. 'Cause I didn't marry a prince and I don't live in a magic sugar castle and now we can't win the Kesha concert which means that I gotta keep being Trina's stupid assistant for twenty-eight more days!" she ranted, her voice going high with distress. I gripped my phone and clenched my jaw. She looked really upset. It made sense, because anything that had to do with Trina was sure to drive anyone crazy.

"That's so sad," Cat muttered.

"Come on. It's ok. Maybe, maybe Trina will just forget about it?" Andre suggested.

"Not likely," Vega disagreed, plopping down on the couch. In a small effort to make her feel better the others helped clean up the house before heading out. I didn't move from my spot until Beck gave me a look on his way out the door.

"Come on, Jade. The least you can do is walk yourself out," he taunted. I glared at him but he just smiled as he headed for the door. I got up to follow him, only stopping when I passed Vega who was slumped low on the couch. I turned to face her with my arms crossed.

"Why don't you just take my advice?" I questioned her.

"Because I'm not you," she answered.

"Obviously, or you wouldn't be where you are now," I pointed out. She sighed and stood up, looking me right in the eyes.

"If that's all you have to say then can you go now?" she mumbled, her gaze falling soon after. We stood there for a moment before I nodded, carefully stepping forward to keep her from looking at the floor. I pushed her chin up and then stepped back.

"I could always…persuade, Trina to leave you alone," I suggested, smirking deviously. It managed to put a small smile on her face.

"You mean threaten her?" she corrected.

"Same difference," I said with a light shrug. Vega giggled but shook her head and stepped closer. I tensed a bit but kept myself in place.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I can do this," she stated confidently, reaching out to rest her hand on my arm. I let the contact persist a few seconds before stepping away.

"Ok, but if you need me to step in…" I offered, cracking my knuckles. She shook her head again and moved past me to open the door.

"See you," she said, gesturing for me to leave.

"Your loss," I told her, walking out. I didn't hear the door close until I was almost at Beck's car.

**~Tori~**

What followed had to be one of the worst moments of my life. That night Trina demanded that I prepare a bath for her. I then had to wash her hair while she ate a pickle. When she needed to blow her nose I had to hold the tissue for her and then I had to check the color of her snot. It was something about the doctor telling her she would have to take something if it wasn't the right color, but at that point I wasn't listening. I slowly pushed her into the water, claiming to rinse the soap from her hair. I didn't keep her under for long, but I was almost tempted. A few questionable hygiene requests later I was free to take a shower of my own.

I had to make sure I washed off any remaining Trina gunk off me. The next day wasn't going to be any better. I got just enough sleep that night and fought through the day with texts from Jade which were surprisingly helpful. Together we hypothetically planned Trina's demise in several different ways. Jade sometimes didn't sound like she was joking but I definitely was. Despite how horrible Trina was, she was still my sister and I loved her. At school the following day I was greeted by none other than Jade. I shut my locker and turned to see her strutting over.

"Ooh, you don't look happy," she remarked, eyeing my frown. Essentially, my lips. My mind wandered a bit at the implication but I was quick to answer. I wasn't going to let her get to me.

"I'm not," I responded. She looked down at the cup of coffee in her hands.

"Yay," she mumbled. It sounded like she wanted to mean it, but it didn't sound as hurtful as usual.

"So, from what I heard, Trina is giving you a hard time," she continued.

"She is. Did you know she sleep sweats?" I told her with a point of my finger. She looked up with furrowed brows.

"Sleep sweats?" she repeated.

"Yeah, she made me go into her room last night every two hours with a sponge, lift her arms, and then I had to-" I began to explain.

"Tori!" Trina's voice called out of nowhere. Was I hearing things? Trina came running over and stopped with her ringing phone held out in her hand.

"Answer my phone," she demanded, a bit desperate.

"I don't wanna," I refused.

"You're her assistant, so do what she says," Jade spoke up, gesturing to the phone.

"Thank you, Jade," Trina said, a hand on her arm. Jade immediately tensed.

"**Never** touch me," she warned. Trina quickly let go of her arm and turned away.

"Why can't you answer your own phone?" I questioned Trina.

"It's that guy, Lendell. He keeps calling me. Just answer it," Trina responded, shaking it at me. I sighed and took it from her.

"Hello? No, I'm sorry. Trina's…" I said, at a loss for words. Trina ran forward.

"Dead. Uh, oh, no. Say I moved to Canada," she decided.

"Uh, she moved to Canada. Then…died," I spoke into the phone. Trina nodded along.

"Yeah, this is her sister, Tori. No, I will not go out with you! What is wrong with y-" I began to yell, but Trina had me beat.

"Give me my phone!" she ordered, snatching it from me.

"Hey, I'm dead for ten seconds and you're already hitting on my sister? Uh, no. No! You listen to me, Lendell! It doesn't matter that I hate you…" she shouted, turning and walking down the hall so that her voice carried away with her departure.

"That's my life now," I said with a hand held out in the direction Trina left. Jade nodded once, stoic.

"So, I might as well-" I said, only to stop when Cat called me over.

"Come see this," she said. Jade turned to look at her and I groaned before walking over. Jade followed at her own pace.

"Play it again," Cat told Sinjin who was holding his laptop.

"Kay kay," he agreed, playing it. I leaned over to see what was on the screen. It was a video of Kesha that had been posted on SPLASHFace.

"_So, turns out the dude from Northridge said he won the Lichterz ice cream contest…he faked it. Yeah. Guy's a loser. Anyway, contest back on. Get it. Kesha out."_

"I can still win the contest!" I shouted, excited.

"Run for it, Tori! Run straight home and don't stop until you get there!" Sinjin encouraged. I nodded and ran right out the door. I couldn't wait to start searching, with or without help.

* * *

Contest BACK ON! Gotta get

more ICE CREAM!

I'm RUNNING!

Feeling: Giddy

* * *

I have such good friends. They all agreed to get back to searching with me. Even Jade, and with much less complaining than last time. She picked up a pint and started digging without being asked and hasn't stopped since we started. We all called out the letters we found until there was a break in the usual.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait. Cat, what did you say?" I asked her.

"When?" she replied.

"Just a second ago," I answered.

"I said, when," she told me. I rolled my eyes.

"No, before that," I clarified.

"Oh, I said 'H'," she answered. As one we all ran over to crowd her and cheer.

"I feel so loved!" she said, giggling. I took the letter from her and held it like it was sacred.

"Here it is," I said, passing it to Andre who ran over to put it in place.

"KEHA!" he cheered with his fists up.

"KEHA!" we reiterated.

"Ok, ok, ok. Let's find the 'S' before somebody else does," I told everyone, rushing back to the pints of ice cream we had left. Everyone else was right behind me, ready to keep going. But hours later we slowed down again, losing hope. It was the same letters over and over again. I was getting desperate, and maybe, a little crazy. I began rechecking every empty pint in hopes that we might have missed a letter at the bottom but they all came up empty. Andre tried to get my attention and I lost it, turning around so quickly I splattered his face with ice cream from the spoon I was holding.

"What? What? I gotta find the 'S'!" I shouted at him.

"Why don't you take a little break?" he suggested, taking the spoon from me. I tried to take it back but he evaded and set it down.

"No. No! I gotta find the 'S'! I don't wanna be Trina's assistant anymore. I just need the 'S' to spell Kesha. Where is the 'S'?" I cried, grabbing Andre by the shirt and burying my face in his chest. He looked alarmed but I didn't care. He patted my head.

"I don't know. I just don't know," he replied, concern in his voice.

"Hey, you guys. The letter that we found the most of is 'K', right?" Robbie began, tapping away at his ginormous Pear Pad. We all agreed with him.

"What ice cream flavors have we searched the most?" he inquired.

"Uh, Beach Bunny Blitz, Pooberry Pecan, and Creamy Cowboy Crunch," I answered once I had the list in my hands.

"Ah! Which, according to the Lichterz website, are their three most popular flavors," Robbie explained.

"So, if they put the easiest to find letters in the most popular flavors of ice cream, then…" Jade said, understanding.

"Then they probably put the hardest to find letters-" Andre tried to say, but I cut across him.

"The 'S'!" I yelled, patting excitedly at his chest. He flinched away and grabbed at my wrists to stop me.

"The 'S," he said with a nod at me before turning to the others.

"In their least popular flavor," Beck finished. I pulled away from Andre and ran over, eyes on Robbie.

"What's the least popular flavor of Lichterz ice cream?" I demanded, sliding to a halt behind the couch and almost falling.

"Uh, I don't like being hollered at," he responded, pressing at his ear. There was a moment when I stood there, unable to think of anything besides getting the information that would save me from Trina, and then my desperation got the better of me. The next thing I knew I was being pulled off the couch where I had been trying to climb over in an attempt to attack Robbie. Both Andre and Beck told me to relax.

"Just tap your Pear Pad and tell us the least popular flavor," Andre said.

"All right, all right. It's, um, Funky Nut Blast," Robbie stated, unsure. I wasn't familiar with that one. Jade frowned at the name.

"I've never even heard of that," Beck admitted.

"Me either," Andre added.

"Well it has to exist somewhere," I joined in.

"Oh, it does. It's my brother's favorite, so my mom buys it for him and puts his special medicine in it," Cat explained, getting up from the stairs to walk over. I looked to Andre before running toward her. He wisely grabbed a hold of me to keep me in place.

"Well, where do we buy the Funky Nut Blast?" I interrogated her.

"We get it at the Handy Quick in Calabasas," Cat answered.

"Drive me there?" I asked, grabbing at Andre's shirt again.

"Let's go," he agreed.

"I'm going," Jade quickly stated, getting to her feet.

"Can I come?" Cat inquired.

"I don't care, just hurry!" I yelled, already running for the door. I was a mad woman on a mission. We all jumped in Andre's car and he drove us to our destination. The whole way I kept tapping the door handle or wringing my hands, fidgeting the whole time until I felt a gentle grip on my right shoulder. I jumped, startled, but remembered that Jade was sitting right behind me. I fought the urge to reach up and take her hand. Instead, I relaxed into the seat and focused on the up and down stroke of her hand. I was so relaxed I didn't register when we stopped. Jade pulled away and leaned in.

"Hey, Vega. Race you," she challenged, throwing open her door and shutting it with a slam as soon as the car was turned off. My eyes flew open and I fought the seat belt, jumping from the car to catch up to her. I reached the door first with a burst of speed but she was right behind me. Andre and Cat jogged along behind us. We tumbled into the store with suspicious looks from the only two people in there, the cashier lady and a little boy. We ignored them and ran right to the freezer in the back. We yelled over each other and made a mess of the shelves but I found what we were looking for. Once I had it I told Cat to pay while I forced out the ice cream then and there. Andre and Jade stood nearby, watching with anticipation. I grunted as I squeezed and shook the container. I tried smacking the back of it next.

"Come on," Jade encouraged.

"I can't get it out," I grumbled, shaking and squeezing it again.

"Tori," Jade sighed, patience waning. I could hear it. Too bad I was too intent on this dang ice cream or I would have appreciated the fact that she called me by my first name. Instead, I continued to fight the carton of ice cream.

"Alright. Shake it. Shimmy it," Andre joined in. It slipped in my hands and I almost lost it but I caught it before it could fall.

"Push!" Jade yelled. I swung down with full force and squeezed again.

"Tori!" Jade shouted, patience lost. Huh, two times now.

"Come on. Want me to try it out?" Andre suggested. I shook my head and started raising each foot to kick at it.

"Alright, well…" Andre murmured, leaning on the freezer to wait. Jade pushed past him.

"Give it to me," she demanded as I started smacking it on a smaller freezer nearby. I brought it down hard and it slipped from my hands to fall on the floor.

"Go away!" I yelled in response, pushing at her outstretched hand as I ran to catch up with the runaway container.

"Ugh!" Jade growled, crossing her arms and leaning on the containers full of oranges. I chased the container before it could roll any further, intent on getting the ice cream out. It was really frozen solid in there. I picked it up and started shaking it again until, eventually, it slipped out. The letter hit the floor soon after. I tossed the carton and bent to pick it up.

"You got it! Do you see the 'S'?" Jade asked, leaning in close.

"No. It's just a dumb 'H'!" I yelled, throwing it. Jade brushed past me to look around in the freezer.

"Well, maybe there's another pint?" Andre suggested.

"No, there's not. That's the only Funky Nut Blast," Jade replied, having searched each shelf. I pushed my hair back and sighed, defeated. Jade looked to me, uncertain, but eventually took my hand and gave it a squeeze. I looked up to see she actually looked concerned for me. I groaned hopelessly and started sliding to the floor, forcing Jade to let go of my hand. Both Andre and Jade called to me but I didn't listen.

"What are you doing?" Jade mumbled.

"We're in public," Andre added.

"Hey, that boy over there is eating Funky Nut Blast," Cat piped up, getting our attention. We all looked at each other before running over, scaring Cat in the process. We stopped to huddle around the boy, Jade getting there first. I skid around a shelf and almost fell if Jade hadn't caught me. I righted myself by gripping her arm before brushing my hair out of my face and addressing the boy.

"Hello," I greeted.

"Hey," he responded, still just as suspicious of us.

"Uh, whatcha eatin' there?" I questioned.

"Funky Nut Blast," he answered. We all played at surprised.

"Can we have it?" I asked him.

"Get out of here," he retorted. Jade scowled and I pressed a hand to her shoulder. It was my turn to keep her from lunging. I could see it in her stare.

"We'll give you thirty bucks for it," Jade bargained. The boy paused, thinking.

"Deal," he agreed. Jade smiled, satisfied. I clapped my hands and cheered. I could just hug her for that.

"Yay! Now we can win the contest and meet Kesha!" Cat revealed. The three of us reprimanded her at the same time.

"Shut your mouth!"

"No!"

"Cat!"

"Whaty?" she inquired, truly wondering what she did wrong. The boy pulled out the letter and held it up.

"Is this what you want?" he asked. We all yelled our agreement.

"I'll give it to you," he said. I screamed.

"If…" he continued. I groaned, my hopping in place subsiding.

"What do you want?" Andre questioned.

"To come to the private concert," the boy replied. We readily agreed, seeing no other way. It wouldn't be that bad.

"And…I wanna kiss you," he said, pointing at me. My eyes widened and I could feel Jade go rigid next to me.

"You little…" I heard her grumble under her breath, her hand gripping mine again. It felt…possessive. Or was she being protective? She looked livid but she was doing a good job of keeping it hidden.

"What?" I said, disbelieving.

"And her," he said, pointing to Cat who giggled and played with her hair.

"And, uh, the freaky one," he finished, pointing to Jade. She gasped, appalled.

"You better stop there," Andre advised. I nodded, having to agree with him. Cat might not care and I might do just about anything to get that 'S' but Jade wasn't going to budge if she didn't want to.

* * *

We got KE$HA! No more

being Trina's assistant!

CONCERT TIME!

Feeling: Triple-Pumped

* * *

**~Jade~**

I should be worried that it was getting easier to comfort Vega. In the car I was worried Cat would say something when she saw me reach over the seat. I didn't even have to shoot her a death glare to shut her up. She only zipped her mouth closed and winked. That girl. Sometimes she just gets things. Other times, not so much. Like her loud mouth once we were so close to getting that 'S'. She just had to go and ruin the whole thing. I was not going to let that little snot kiss me. We convinced him to hold off on the kisses until the private concert and he agreed. Now it was minutes until it would start and he was there with us along with Trina.

It was surreal to have such a thing happen right there in the Vega's living room, but then again, it was pretty normal. Almost everything seemed to happen in the Vega's house. While we waited for Kesha to get ready, Vega passed out the drinks and snacks we each bought to pitch in for the special day. I retrieved the licorice I bought and found Vega in the kitchen getting a drink for herself. I waited behind the door of the fridge so that I could startle her when she closed it and saw me there. It was too easy. She gasped and stumbled back but I caught her from falling. I glanced around the room, making sure no one was paying attention, and then clasped her hand in mine to pull her closer.

"Guess what I got you?" I teased, holding the candy out of her eyesight.

"What?" she inquired, cautious. I rolled my eyes and moved to show her. She flinched a little, expecting the worst. I wanted to be offended but it was kind of funny. When she saw the candy she hesitated before taking them.

"For me?" she asked.

"No chiz, Vega. Seeing as I said I had something for you and I'm giving them to you," I remarked sarcastically. I knew they were one of her favorite things to snack on so I thought she would want some present. Even though she would most likely share them all with people who didn't deserve it, nor were they people I intended them to be for.

"Thanks, Jade," she said, a warm smile on her face. I allowed a small smile of my own. I gasped when her lips briefly brushed my cheek, close to the corner of my lips. A light blush dusted her cheeks and she looked so shy. I wanted to grab her and give her a real kiss, but she stepped away.

"I guess I got that right about you, huh?" I mumbled, feeling a blush rise. She chuckled and nodded then tugged on my hand before letting go. I followed her to the living room. She parted from my side to go upstairs to her room, taking the candy with her. When she came back down Kesha was ready to perform. Vega stood next to me as the three songs played. We all danced to the music and cheered when the last song ended with sparkling confetti. The backup dancers set aside the confetti canons and Trina took the moment to run up to the singer. I heard her forcibly invite the pop star upstairs and then she dragged her along even after the answer was no. The kid jumped from where he was sitting and walked toward us. We met him halfway, knowing what he wanted.

"Uh, dude?" he inquired.

"Uh, what?" Vega responded. I smiled at her answer.

"You and those two chicks owe me some lips," he said. Vega exchanged a look with me while Cat giggled. A sly smile pulled at Vega's lips before she turned back to the kid.

"Ok, but, uh, let's go someplace private," Vega told him.

"Good call," the kid agreed.

"Come with me," she said, offering her hand to him.

"Yes, ma'am," he eagerly responded, taking it. It took a lot for me to stop myself from grabbing him by the back of his shirt and just tossing him out where he would be well away from Vega. So I simply followed her as she led the kid to the door. I casually sipped at my drink, interested to see what she had planned.

"And now, I'll just open this door…" she began, pulling it open and waiting for the kid to walk out.

"Cool," he said, strutting outside. As soon as he was out she shut the door and locked it. He screamed and slammed his hands on the glass.

"Kiss the shrub," Vega stated with a bite to her voice. I smirked, loving the tone of it and the trick she pulled on the kid. Cat and I followed her back into the living room where Kesha was trying to escape Trina, calling her weird. Yeah, that wasn't new. Tori apologized to Kesha who asked Vega if Trina was her sister. Vega confirmed it and Kesha said she felt sorry for her. Vega said that everyone was. I almost laughed out loud at the hilarity of it all. I hid it by taking a long drink instead. Kesha marveled at her cheekbones next and raised a finger to poke at them, asking if they were real. And that was where I drew the line. No touching Vega. Especially famous pop stars like her. I wandered over and asked my own questions to turn her attention away from Vega who raised a brow at me but didn't say anything, her expression thoughtful.

"Hey, that little boy got locked out," Trina said, moving to get the door even though we all told her not to.

"What's wrong little guy?" she asked him once he walked in.

"Those girls promised to kiss me and didn't," he accused with a point of his finger.

"Oh, well, you could give me a little kiss," Trina offered, bending down and waiting with puckered lips. Nauseating. The kid seemed to think so too.

"Gross," he stated, brushing past her and out the door, closing it behind him.

"At least she was good for something," I remarked, glancing at Vega who nodded with a pleased smile. For a moment we stood there, staring at each other. I cleared my throat and stepped away.

"Come on, Vega. Ask the celebrity all your inane questions while you still can," I said, laughing when she scowled at me. She whined but followed along when I joined the gang huddled around Kesha. We spent some time talking while her crew packed up and then she was gone. I left the Vega household with a licorice in hand and a smile on my face. Vega shared one with me when everyone had gone home and I returned the kiss, careful to linger a bit longer than she had. Our eyes met and I smiled, silently thanking her before heading out. I hoped she knew that I was grateful for more than just the piece of candy she shared with me.


	23. Tori Gets Stuck

**~Jade~**

I was glad Beck was sick because he would be teasing me endlessly right about now. I sighed heavily and pulled my eyes away from Vega who sat up front as usual. I forced myself to pay attention to Sikowitz instead. Our crazy teacher had just finished a long lecture about the importance of a character's first impression. He began to pace the small stage at the front of the room, walking back and forth before settling his gaze on us. He put down his coconut on the podium off to the side, the red straw still in his mouth.

"Let's discuss acting!" he announced with a flourish of his hands after tossing the straw. I furrowed my brows at his exuberance and slipped further down in my chair. Cat sat next to me, impassive and silent for once. Sikowitz stood in place, waiting.

"What about acting?" Andre finally asked him.

"Oh, yes. Any questions?" Sikowitz addressed. I rolled my eyes. It was a wonder we learned anything in his class. And yet, we do. My eyes shifted to Vega to see she was just as perplexed as the rest of us.

"One time, my brother painted part of his body purple," Cat shared. And here we go again.

"Why did your brother paint part of his body purple?" Robbie questioned from his seat next to Andre.

"He had a job interview," she answered. I looked up from the floor at her.

"He didn't get it," she concluded with a shake of her head. At that point it was kind of hard not to wonder what that job was. No one knew what else to say but it didn't matter because the bell rang. We all hurried to leave.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait! Would anyone be interested in seeing the cast list for a little play called Steamboat Suzy?" he said, pulling out the folded paper to show to us. The whole class agreed and it was enough to keep us in place. I walked closer to the front of the room, anticipating my name in the lead role.

"I got the lead, right?" I spoke up.

"Pardon?" Sikowitz responded, a waver to his voice. He probably hadn't forgotten the last time I didn't get the lead. I fiddled with my water bottle and shot him a look.

"I'm playing Suzy, right?" I continued. He stood there, silent and fidgeting, then dropped the paper and ran for the door. Yeah, he remembered. I stepped up on the stage and knelt to pick up the paper. My eyes searched the list and I froze when I saw the name next to the lead character. That was the reason for Sikowitz's evasive behavior and quick exit.

"Did you get the lead?" Cat asked in a small voice. I took a breath and then angrily crumpled the paper up. I threw it on the floor then rounded on a chair, kicking it across the stage.

"I don't think she got it," Andre stated. No, I didn't! But guess who did?

"So, who's playing Suzy?" Robbie inquired. I watched as Vega retrieved the crumpled paper and smoothed it out. Her eyes widened and then flicked to me.

"Me," she said quietly. I nodded.

"Yeah. Her. That. **She** got the lead!" I shouted, wazzed. I fought so hard to get the lead in every play we put on. Even when Vega wasn't around it was hard because there was always someone else I had to compete with. But it was different with Vega. I might like her, but that didn't replace the frustration I felt when she waltzed into school and took everything I fought for. And she did it so easily too! No. I wasn't going to give this one up without a fight. She's lucky I wasn't going to be too hard on her like I was with the others. There had been…incidences, in the past.

"What part did you get?" Cat asked me.

"I got cheated and humiliated," I told her, pointing at myself.

"You get used to it," Sinjin piped up. I scowled at him. Yeah, well, I wasn't going to. I wasn't going to stand for it.

"All right, now. Chill down," Andre said, walking over to take the paper from Vega and look over it. Robbie and Cat leaned close to see it too.

"Let's see. It says right here, 'Jade West – understudy for the role of Suzy'," he read.

"Oh, yee-hoo. Like it's my dream to be Tori's understudy," I snapped at him.

"What's an understudy?" Vega asked, uncertain. What?!

"Oh, man!" I screamed, chucking my water bottle. It struck a mask hanging on the wall by the door and shattered it. Everyone took a step back with wide eyes and mouths hanging open. What? At least I didn't throw it at them.

"Um, an understudy is like a backup actor," Robbie explained.

"So, if you get sick or something, your understudy takes over for your part in the play," Andre added.

"Yeah, if you get sick, or go missing, or get hit by a bus!" I yelled at her, stalking closer with each threat until I was off the stage and in her face. She looked like she wanted to run for a second but then her expression hardened. Her brows furrowed with determination and only a hint of fear. I had to give her credit for that, but we both knew I wouldn't have done anything drastic to her, no matter how angry I got. I turned on my heel and stormed out the door. I had some plans to put into effect. But first, I needed an outlet.

**~Tori~**

The door slammed shut and I was finally able to let out my held breath. Jade looked ready to kill, but despite that, I knew she wouldn't do anything life threatening. Just because we had a…thing, didn't mean she was going to go easy on me or loosen up on her natural competitiveness. I wouldn't want her to either. I liked that she challenged me. It made me work for what I wanted. I understood that, and yet she was still pretty scary. I looked to the others, still feeling a hint of danger from the last words she said. I just had to make sure. Especially when I heard Jade's enraged grunt as she hit something.

"Uh, she can't drive a bus, right?" I asked. Andre and Robbie didn't look too sure about that. Oh great. We all headed out and went our separate ways before meeting back up again in the main hall. I walked up with a smile.

"Hey boys and squirrels," I greeted Jade, Andre, Robbie, and Cat. Jade glared daggers and pushed past me to lean against the nearby lockers. I frowned at her. Cat laughed at my greeting and Jade's bad mood temporarily left the forefront of my mind.

"Squirrels does sound like girls," she commented. I grinned. Apple remains littered the ground at Andre's feet and I raised a brow at him.

"Jade murdered my Granny Smith apple. It was a really good one too," he mumbled, toeing at a piece by his foot. So, she must still be mad that I got the lead role.

"Hey, after school you guys wanna go get sushi at Nozu?" I asked them. Everyone but Jade agreed. I shot her a frown but didn't let it affect me. She could be so moody sometimes.

"You know, actually, my tummy's been feeling kind of weird these past couple of days," Robbie said, a hand rubbing at his stomach.

"It's always something," Rex complained. Just then my phone went off. I quickly dug in my bag to find it.

"Who is this?" I wondered when I saw that the number was private. I answered anyway.

"Hello? Yeah, this is Tori. You…wait, how did you get my number?" I said, marveling at the offer being given to me.

"Who is it?" Andre asked.

"Some guy who works for Lady Gaga!" I told him in disbelief, covering the speaker with my hand. I quickly brought it back to my ear. Andre, Robbie, and Cat's jaws dropped before they started cheering. I shushed them and they shushed each other, noisily, so I put some distance between us.

"Hi, sorry. She is? Really?" I questioned the man, listening as he explained.

"What's he saying?" Cat asked me. I held the phone away again.

"They're doing a new music video next Friday and they're looking for dancers and backup singers!" I exclaimed. They all began talking excitedly while my eyes drifted to Jade. She was uncharacteristically silent. In fact, she looked calm and her anger had disappeared. What was going on?

"Wait, aren't you doing Steamboat Suzy next Friday?" Robbie reminded me.

"Yeah…look, I'm starring in a play that night so, uh-" I mumbled into the phone dejectedly.

"Oh my god! You're going to turn down a job in a real music video just to be in some little play here at school?" Jade cut in, closing the distance between us.

"Well, I guess I could blow off the play," I muttered, holding the phone away.

"Oh yeah, and then Jade'll get to play your part," Cat pointed out. I paused at hearing that.

"Yeah, I…yeah, she would, wouldn't she?" I said, my mind racing. Suddenly I understood what was happening. I looked at Jade and she shrugged, playing innocent. I should have known. I raised the phone to my ear again.

"Hello? Sir? Yeah, I was wondering…" I began, digging around in my bag with my free hand. I pulled out my keychain and blew the whistle loudly into the receiver.

"Argh!"

I perked at the shout of pain and ran around the corner to see Sinjin with his phone in his hand.

"Ha!" I yelled triumphantly. He tried to run away but I caught up and pulled him back.

"Sinjin!" I shouted at him.

"Jade made me do it! She promised me thirty dollars and a complete makeover," he confessed. Jade came to a stop next to me with her arms crossed.

"Well, you failed, so now you don't get thirty dollars and you get to keep looking like that," she stated. Both Sinjin and I looked at him. Granted, he wasn't the best thing to look at, but she didn't have to be so mean.

"You made Sinjin try to trick me into missing the play so you could steal my part?" I demanded turning to glare at Jade.

"Ok, I am not just gonna stand here and listen to you accuse me of things I clearly did," she responded, unconcerned. With that she strode away, leaving me with Sinjin.

"You have anything to say to me?" I asked him.

"Teach me to dance," he replied.

"No!" I declined. Why did he keep asking me that? I turned and walked away, wondering if that was the only thing Jade had in store for me. Probably not.

* * *

Jade tried to STEAL my part in

Steamboat Suzy.

P.S. I will NOT teach Sinjin

to dance.

Feeling: Cranky

* * *

I put so much work into playing Suzy. Every day after school we rehearsed until Friday came around. We were practicing one last time, just to make sure we got it. Everyone gathered in the Blackbox to rehearse for the play. My costume made me feel very heroic. As we went over our lines before acting it out I kept an eye on Jade. She had been trying to ruin it for me since day one, but I was persistent. She was sitting in the front row of chairs with her legs crossed, sharp gaze on me. She didn't give anything away but I knew she was seething, scheming what she could do to take my role. In no time we were taking our places and practicing the scenes. I waited for my cue backstage.

"You better dock the boat," Andre's character said to the guy assisting him. I ran out and took hold of the wheel to say my lines.

"We're not docking. I'll captain this boat," I stated.

"You? Don't be ridiculous," Andre responded from where he hung on the railing, injured from a lightning strike. Trina's character came hobbling out at that moment, coughing forcefully. I saw Sikowitz tilt his head at her acting from where he sat on the other side of the same row Jade was seated in. He looked concerned for a wholly different reason than he should be. Trina kept it up and I fought not to shake my head at her.

"That little girl is sick!" I said, pointing her out.

"Help me! Please help," Trina gasped, coughing again.

"We've got to get her to New Orleans by daybreak," I said.

"You can't captain a boat. You're just a woman," Andre's character told me. I looked at him and stood tall.

"I may be a woman, but that doesn't mean I'm not the best dang steamboat captain this here river's ever seen," I responded gallantly. I broke into the musical number and the rest of the cast made their appearance to sing along. When we finished my attention went to a delivery man that just entered the Black Box. He was carrying flowers.

"Hold! Cut, cut, cut. Can I help you?" Sikowitz addressed the guy, getting up from his seat.

"Yeah, I got flowers for a Tori Vega," he answered.

"Me? Huh," I spoke up, wondering who was nice enough to do that. I walked off stage to take a look at them. Andre and Trina followed.

"I wonder who would have sent me flowers," I pondered.

"Oh, Tori, those are bush daisies!" Trina warned me. Never have I been so grateful to hear her loud shriek. With a cry I quickly distanced myself from the flowers. The delivery man pulled them away when he saw my reaction and passed them to Sikowitz.

"I am way allergic to bush daisies. If I get anywhere near them, my whole face starts to swell up and I start sweating and shaking," I stated. Trina nodded.

"Well, who would have sent you bush daisies?" Andre asked me.

"I don't know," I mumbled. I mean, usually sending people flowers was a sweet thing but that was potentially harmful. Hold on.

"Or maybe I do," I said, stomping over to Jade. She glanced up at me but didn't give me much of her attention. She just sat there with her legs crossed, taking a sip of her coffee.

"How did you know I was allergic to bush daisies?" I demanded, stopping in front of her.

"I do my research," she responded easily.

"You looked up my medical records?" I inquired, a bit weirded out.

"I'll answer that right after you stick your face in those bush daisies," she responded flippantly. I blinked, holding back my agitation.

"Listen to me. I'm doing this play. I auditioned. I got the lead, and I'm doing it," I declared, getting more and more in her face. By the end of my rant we were nose to nose. How I wished it was a totally different circumstance. But no, it had to be because she was wazzing me off. That infuriating smirk touched her lips and she returned my stare.

"I don't care what you do," she replied.

"All right, pick it back up where we left off," Sikowitz said from behind me, swatting at Jade with his scarf. She glared at him, more grumpy than actually angry. I shook my head as I walked off to take a seat until we started again.

"Trina," Sikowitz called to her.

"Yep?" she answered.

"I wasn't believing your cough. You need to really sell the tuberculosis," he advised, gesturing with his hands.

"Uh, like this?" she began, letting out a retching hack. That then became other strange sounds.

"Yeah, that's not good," Sikowitz said with a shake of his head. The door swung open just then and Lane ran in.

"Hey! Hey! Robbie's in the hospital," he announced. Everyone gathered around. I jumped from my seat, just as concerned as everyone else. Jade got up too, standing next to me.

"What's wrong with him?" Andre questioned.

"I don't know. His stomach was hurting really bad, so an ambulance took him to the emergency room and they x-rayed him," Lane explained.

"And what'd they find?" I asked.

"Well, according to this text message from Rex it says, 'There's a car parked in Robbie's butt'," Lane said, reading from his phone. I tried to figure out what that might mean. Meanwhile, I caught Jade smirking amusedly. I subtly jabbed her in the side and she hissed a curse at me.

"Oh my god!" Cat exclaimed. Everyone looked at her.

"I don't know what that means," she admitted. Neither did I.

"Well, who would?" Lane agreed.

"Is Robbie gonna be ok?" Andre inquired.

"I don't know. His parents are in Boca so I'm gonna head to the hospital," Lane responded, turning to leave.

"Well, can we come?" I requested.

"We wanna see Robbie," Cat joined in.

"Sikowitz?" Lane addressed our teacher.

"Yes, of course, but the play starts at seven thirty," he permitted.

"We'll be back way before then. Come on," I said, leading the way out. I was almost at the door when I thought of Jade who was in no hurry to leave.

"Whoa. Wait, Jade," I called to her, turning to face her.

"What?" she questioned. I advanced on her.

"Is this just another trick to get me out of the play so you can steal my part?" I guessed. I mean, yeah, it was a little janked up, but I was highly suspicious of her recently.

"No," she answered, her expression honest enough.

"And what if you're lying?" I asked next. She sighed.

"Fine. I'll go to the hospital. You stay here," she said, passing me. That was easy. No. Too easy.

"Ok…wait!" I shouted, raising a finger.

"Whaaaat?" she whined, turning around with a pout that was surprisingly cute. I had to stay focused.

"How do I know that you're not tricking me by having me stay here while you go to the hospital?" I interrogated. She didn't even get a chance to answer.

"Both of you go to the hospital!" Sikowitz ordered.

"All right," I quickly agreed.

"We'll both go," Jade added. I followed her out with my head ducked down, ashamed for fighting over something so trivial when Robbie could be in serious danger. As soon as it was just us two walking through the hall Jade glanced at me.

"Go get dressed and meet me outside. I'll drive you. And don't you dare say anything. Just do it or I'm leaving you," she commanded. I saluted her before running off to do as I was told.

**~Jade~**

Vega kind of surprised me with how determined she was to protect her part in the play. And it wasn't easy to deny me what I wanted for long, yet she did it every day. I came pretty close sometimes, but close wasn't good enough. I got to talk a bit with Beck one day and he had a way with getting me to fess up to my schemes, including how I broke into the office to go through Vega's records. How the chiz did he always manage to do that? He disapproved of course, but he long caught on that making it hard on Vega was my way of showing I cared about her so he didn't lecture me as much as usual. Anyway, Friday came around and I had to sit through the many rehearsals, mentally memorizing it along with them just in case I got my way. Vega wasn't too bad, but the other Vega was as talentless as ever. That was expected. What was completely unexpected, but entirely welcome, was Vega getting all huffy after she realized I sent her those bush daisies.

Her angry face was inches from my own, brown eyes fierce with determination, and all I wanted to do in that moment was grab her by the collar and kiss her. I started to realize a while ago part of the reason I liked to wazz her off. She was hot when she got mad. It was even better when I caused it. I wasn't lying when I said I didn't care what she did. Actually, I was curious if she would even do anything. But then Sikowitz interrupted our little staring contest. What happened to Robbie was unfortunate but I was sure the little nerd would be fine. Vega looked concerned so the least I could do was offer her a ride over there. For once she didn't question my offer. Luckily, Cat got a ride with Trina. I looked up from the ground when I heard footsteps approach. I got up from leaning on my car and headed for the driver's side. I got in and Vega slipped in without a word too. She fiddled with the radio once we were on the road.

"You must be pretty comfortable if you think you can just mess with my radio," I commented. She shrugged and changed to another station. I smacked her hand away and she chuckled. I grumbled under my breath, reluctant to let her know she was getting to me so easily.

"I take that back. You're just stupid," I groused, setting the radio to my favorite station. Vega raised a challenging brow at me and raised her hand again. I tensed.

"Go ahead. Try it. I could pull over and shove you out right here. Better yet, I might not even stop before throwing you out," I warned her. Vega immediately switched it to something that Cat would likely listen to and I scowled, grabbing her hand and pinning it to her lap.

"Keep your hands to yourself," I told her. She smiled knowingly and flipped her hand over to grip mine.

"Only if you do," she whispered teasingly. I couldn't fight the blush from rising. I tried to yank my hand away but she held it in a tight grip. The car swerved so I gave up trying to free my hand and focused on driving. I was glad when we were almost at the hospital because she was starting to stroke my hand with the the tips of her fingers. I fought for a parking spot and shut off the car. Only then did Vega let my hand go so we could get out. The others were waiting for us in the lobby. It took some time to get in and find Robbie's room but eventually we made it. Tori made a soft sound of concern when she saw Robbie.

"Hey guys," he greeted us.

"There's a car parked in Robbie's butt," Rex commented from beside him. Yeah, so we heard. Robbie smacked him on the chest.

"Quit saying that," he reprimanded.

"Robbie, you wanna explain?" Lane asked him.

"Well, when I was seven years old, I took my favorite little toy car to school, and a scary bully made me swallow it," Robbie shared. Sucks.

"Yeah, she was real scary. Remember how she kept whupping you with her ponytail?" Rex added, turning to Robbie.

"They were braids," Robbie corrected.

"So wait, this little toy car, it's been inside of you for almost ten years?" Vega questioned.

"Uh huh," Robbie confirmed.

"So this little car, why won't it just, you know, back out?" Andre inquired, a bit uncomfortable.

"The doctor says it's stuck in my small intestine. That's my x-ray right over there," Robbie pointed out. We all turned to look at the image and mumbled our concern. There was the little car, just as he said. It was kind of neat to see.

"What kind of car is it?" Cat asked. Like that mattered.

"It looks like a sport's car," Andre commented.

"Yeah, it's a Pontiac," Robbie answered. We started talking among ourselves about the toy car when the nurse came in.

"Excuse me. Robbie's parents are on the phone in Reception," she informed.

"Oh, good. Robbie, I'll see you in a few," Lane said, following her out.

"Thanks, Lane," Robbie responded.

"So is there anything we can do to help?" Vega asked. It was so typical of her to want to help in some way. The boy was going to get a surgery and everything would be fine. What could she do to help? Loud coughing cut through the calm atmosphere and Trina shushed Vega from saying anything more.

"Shh! Listen," she said, crouched in alert. The person coughed again, loud and painful.

"That is some juicy coughing and hacking," Trina remarked.

"So?" Vega responded.

"I'm playing the role of a little girl with tuberculosis and I want my coughing and hacking to sound realistic like his," the older Vega explained. The coughing continued.

"Wait till I get there!" she shouted. She grabbed at Cat's arm and dragged her out to go with her. Finally, some peace. It was a good thing Trina and Cat get along well. It kills two birds with one stone. They both have someone to pester while also being completely oblivious to it. I began wandering the room and turned to face the doctor who just walked in.

"My goodness, Robbie. I didn't realize you were so popular," he said. I scoffed under my breath, glancing back at Robbie.

"Are you his girlfriend?" the doctor asked me. Ha, he wished.

"No. Are you?" I bit back. He paused, staring at me. Vega jumped in at that moment.

"Why don't you go to the nursery and scare the newborn babies?" she suggested. How dare she try to get rid of me. Although, that did sound tempting. She really did know me. I gasped with interest and turned back to the doctor.

"Where are the babies?" I asked hopefully.

"Uh…" he hesitated.

"So, Doc, what's the situation with Robbie?" Andre inquired, bringing all attention to him. Darn. I could have been scaring babies by now. I wandered back to Vega's side.

"Well, you see this tear in his small intestine?" he began. Andre and Vega gave a positive reply.

"Well, if that Pontiac moves, it could rip that kid's guts apart," he finished. I brightened at that. What a way to go. Torn apart from the inside out all because he wouldn't stand up for himself years ago. He should really learn from that. Robbie squeaked in distress and fell back on the bed.

"So slice him open and yank it out," I stated.

"We would, but Robbie has a rare blood type. O-negative," he replied.

"Oh," Vega said.

"Negative," Andre mumbled. Hmm.

"And we don't have enough here for the surgery," the doctor continued.

"So, how do you plan to-" Andre started to question again, but I cut him off. I just got a perfect solution.

"Whoa, whoa," I said, holding out a hand.

"I know where you can get some O-negative blood," I shared.

"Where?" Vega asked. With a smirk I grabbed her wrist and raised it with one hand. I pushed back her sleeve with the other, dragging my fingers over her soft skin before patting it lightly. Her expression was a mix of confused and slightly flustered.

"Right here," I said, smiling at the doctor.

"I'm O-negative?" Vega asked me. I nodded, still holding her by the back of the hand while my other hand drummed at her forearm. She yanked away from me and I reluctantly let her go.

"You did go through my medical records!" she shouted.

"Told you I do my research," I drawled in the accent she disliked. Her frown was adorable.

"Would you be willing to donate blood for Robbie's operation?" the doctor asked Vega. I waited for her answer, listening to her stutter for a moment.

"Sure, totally," she finally spat out.

"But the play starts in three hours," Andre spoke up, taking out his phone to check the time.

"Oh, you're in a play?" the doctor questioned.

"Yeah, at school. I'm the lead," Vega responded.

"Don't you have an understudy, someone that could take your place?" he asked. I chuckled and glanced at her. What a predicament. I couldn't have planned it better myself.

"Yeah, she does," I said, grinning at her frown. Her eyes narrowed at me and I only nodded in response. She exchanged a look with Andre but he just shrugged. With a sigh Vega stepped forward to go with the doctor. Andre and I went with her but hung back.

"You didn't somehow plan all this, did you?" he wondered.

"No, but it would have been awesome if I did," I answered. He shook his head at me but I just smiled innocently.

**~Tori~**

* * *

A lady is about to take

MY BLOOD. I hope she's

nice to it.

Feeling: Nervous

* * *

I took a seat in the reclining chair I had been directed to while the nurse set everything up. I kept fidgeting and shifting, growing more and more anxious. It didn't help that she was barely paying attention. She was currently yelling at someone on the phone. That had to be against their policy or something. Not yelling at someone over the phone, but talking to someone on the phone while working on a patient.

"Is this going to hurt?" I asked.

"Probably," she replied. That didn't sound too encouraging, but I had to do it for Robbie. Jade stood up and walked over. She looked a bit impatient. She was probably waiting to see my blood extracted. It had to be the only reason why she even stuck around. She wasn't the comforting type, but I had hope.

"How much blood are you gonna need?" I questioned next, unable to remain silent.

"Take a lot. Whatever you don't use, just put in a jug and send to my house," Jade advised nonchalantly. What was her problem?

"Get out," I ordered.

"Nope," she retorted, taking her seat. I sighed.

"Hey, my heart's got a nice beat going," Andre commented from across the room, a stethoscope on. He started beatboxing and cheering it on. My brows came together, my worry mounting. She was taking so long. I just wanted to get it over with and Andre wasn't helping.

"Listen, I'm starring in a play tonight at seven thirty. I'll be ok to do it, right?" I made sure.

"Yeah, you're only giving one pint of blood. It'll take a few minutes. You'll be fine for your play," the nurse reassured. Suddenly she was yelling into the phone again. Cat and Trina returned from wherever they went and started talking about a man they had been bothering. It turned out he just had pneumonia, which wasn't enough for Trina. Cat yelled in the stethoscope and Andre screamed in pain, snatching it from her. Jade rolled her eyes and got up again, pacing the room. I ignored them to address the nurse.

"Um, will you let me know when you're about to stick the needle in my-oh! And there's a needle in my arm," I yelped, feeling the sting of it poking into my skin. Jade rushed over, eyes searching. It took me a while to realize that she was making sure I was okay. Trina came over to ask where the tuberculosis patients were and then rushed off with Cat again when she was told. I was pretty sure she shouldn't be anywhere near sick people. I tried to tell her but she wouldn't listen. Cat assaulted Andre's ears one more time before they were gone. I sat back in the chair while my blood was being taken. It felt like forever and even more so when Jade left my side claiming she needed to take a wazz. I wanted to ask her to stay but I didn't want to risk her calling me a wienie so I kept quiet. By the time I was done she hadn't come back. The nurse stepped out after removing the needle and pressing a cotton ball to my arm.

**~Jade~**

What a baby. Vega saw blood and turned green. Frankly, it was cool to witness. The needle pricking skin and drawing blood was intriguing. I stayed close to watch the bag fill up, marveling at the red liquid while Vega babbled on in order to keep herself from thinking about it. I stayed close to give her some comfort but eventually I had to use the restroom and excused myself. Vega looked ready to beg for me to stay, a thought I found funny, but when she didn't say anything I left. On my way back I saw the nurse come out of the room and I hid behind the corner. She passed the blood to another nurse before walking away. He set it aside so that he could fill out a form and that was when I made my move. I snuck past and picked it up, slipping it in my bag. I was confident he didn't even see me pass him. When I walked in the room I planned how I was going to hide it away once I got home. Maybe the freezer of the mini fridge in my room could work. It probably wouldn't last long, but it would be such a cool thing to have in the first place. I sat back down in the seat I claimed and glanced at Vega. She didn't look as sick or worried anymore. That was good, right?

**~Tori~**

* * *

One pint of my blood – GONE.

Does it miss me? Soon I shall

be STEAMBOAT SUZY!

Feeling: Pumped

* * *

When the nurse cleared me to leave I went back to Robbie's room with Jade in tow. Andre, Trina, and Cat already left. For a moment I thought Jade would leave me stranded. That would be just like her to do that, to leave me there while she took my part. But she didn't. She came back. Minutes later the doctor walked in. He lifted Robbie's legs with some machine so that pressure could be taken off his lower abdomen. He felt better after that. He asked me if I gave blood and I was happy to answer positively. Robbie and I exchanged playful words and Jade made a gagging sound from where she stood off to the side. I wasn't going to lie, it was interesting to see Jade act at unaffected when it was obvious that she wasn't enjoying my interaction with Robbie. I looked up when the nurse suddenly walked in. She murmured something to the doctor.

"You lost her blood?" he stated incredulously. Both Robbie and I stared at them with wide eyes. Jade cocked her head to the side, impassive but still listening.

"What?" I gasped.

"It wasn't my fault. It was that creepy male nurse with the beard," she said with raised hands.

"We gotta have type O-negative blood or we can't operate on this boy," the doctor said.

"I understand," the nurse said with a nod. The doctor walked over to stand in front of me. I already knew what he was going to ask before her even said it.

"Do you mind giving us another pint of blood?" he questioned.

"Another whole pint? Is that safe?" I asked, my nerves coming back to me. His reply didn't seem convincing. Oh boy. I wanted to say no, but poor Robbie. I couldn't do that to him.

"Will she still make it back for her play on time?" Robbie inquired.

"It starts at seven thirty. I'm steamboat Suzy," I reminded them.

"Won't be a problem," the nurse assured.

"Let's go," I said with a sigh, moving to leave. I glanced at Jade, silently questioning if she was going to come with me. I felt better with her there. She seemed to get it because she approached with a groan, ready to go despite being reluctant.

"Don't worry. You'll be better soon," I told Robbie, turning to glance back at him.

"Thanks, Tori," he replied.

"Um, and Robbie?" I began.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"Spongebob underwear?" I stated, causing him to quickly cover up. Jade laughed and nudged me.

"Good one, Vega," she complimented. I didn't let her see the smile that pulled at my lips. Instead, I busied myself during the walk through the halls by updating Andre on what happened so that he could let Sikowitz know. While I was getting my blood drawn, again, I watched Jade closely. She was contemplating something. I just knew it. She probably wanted to ditch me so that she could take my place in the play. After all, I **was** cutting it a bit close, and if I couldn't make it then that was what an understudy was for.

"What are you planning over there?" I asked her, leaning to the side so that I could see around the nurse.

"Nothing," Jade responded simply.

"Uh huh, sure," I mumbled.

"Ok, if you must know, I'm wondering how well your costume will fit on me," she taunted. I frowned.

"I'll be out of here soon," I responded.

"And if you aren't?" she pressed.

"That sounds suspiciously like you're planning something. For all I know you were behind my missing blood," I accused her. She smirked and shrugged.

"Maybe, maybe not. Either way, if you can't play Suzy then I will," she promised me. Okay, I see why Jade is sticking around now. She was getting in some taunts before stealing my role. Well, I wasn't going to let her get to me.

* * *

Giving ANOTHER PINT of

blood now. Then on my way

to Steamboat Suzy!

Feeling: Relieved

* * *

**~Jade~**

I hummed to myself while the nurse finally patched Vega up for the second time, another pint of her blood successfully taken. The nurse told her to drink her juice and eat her cookie but Vega pointed out that the nurse had already eaten it. I chuckled to myself and kept a straight face when Vega shot me a glare. The nurse even had the audacity to sass her on the way out the door. Vega picked up the small carton of juice and drank some. I stood with a clap of my hands.

"Well, that's enough fun for the day. I think we should head out now. Shapiro can deal on his own," I said, heading for the door to wait for her. I stopped when Robbie came in.

"Hey! There's my little blood angel," he greeted. Vega smiled and I backed up so that he could enter, using a walker to get around.

"Robbie, why are you out of bed?" Vega questioned, concerned.

"I don't know. I just felt kinda bad that you had to give more blood for me," he replied, walking further into the room.

"No worries. Already done. Thar she is," she assured him, holding up the bag of extracted blood.

"Oh, yeah. Let me see. Wow. It's like I'm holding liquid you in my hands," he said, taking it from her. I walked over, eyeing Shapiro. It was one thing to 'misplace' the first pint, but if anything happened to the second one Vega would be hard pressed to give more. She already sounded worn. I wanted the part but I wouldn't put her in danger for it. Also, I wasn't enjoying his comments towards Vega. She didn't seem to like it either. Robbie kept playing with the bag and lifted it to the light, rambling about how it looked, so I stepped in.

"You keep messing with that and something might happen. Give it back and go lay down before that car adjusts," I suggested.

"Hold on. Do you see what I mean?" he declined, moving the blood out of my reach when I stepped forward to take it.

"No, Shapiro. I don't. Now put it down before-" I tried to tell him, grabbing for it. He pulled it away quickly to evade me and he lost his grip on it. The bag hit the tiled floor and burst, splattering red all over us. I stood in place, fury festering just under the surface at his clumsiness. That was the exact reason why I didn't want him handling it. Robbie stood frozen in shock and Vega gaped at him from her seat. Robbie began to stammer.

"Get the nurse," Vega all but growled. Damn. She was angry again. Not at me, but still. Robbie agreed and shuffled to the door.

"Faster!" she yelled at him. He whimpered and rushed out as fast as he could. So that was what it felt like to be covered in blood. It wasn't as fun as I thought it would be. I opened my mouth to compliment Vega for almost scaring the wazz out of Robbie but then she turned on me.

"And you!" she began with a point.

"What about me?" I responded, crossing my arms.

"Be ready at the car so we can go as soon as possible," she demanded, getting up.

"And you?" I questioned.

"I gotta get this done **again**," she grumbled.

"Vega," I tried to caution her, but she only pointed at the door. Three pints of blood couldn't be safe, but she was set in her decision so I headed out. I only stopped to wash off what I could in a restroom and then stood right outside to wait for her.

**~Tori~**

* * *

Now I gotta give ANOTHER

PINT OF BLOOD! How will I be

Steamboat Suzy?!

Feeling: Freaked Out

* * *

I needed some help walking so I didn't hesitate to use Jade for support as soon as I saw her. I was so tired and I couldn't think straight. Jade tensed when I rested most of my weight on her but she didn't push me away. She helped me to the car and buckled me in before starting it up. We made it back to school just in time. I did it. I was Steamboat Suzy. Except, was it me or was it hard to talk? I kept blinking my eyes, trying to stay awake, but it was almost impossible. I knew I was butchering my lines but I was too stubborn to step down. I earned the role and I was going to play it. Even if Andre had to keep propping me up and making sure I didn't fall over. Which I did. It was just too hard staying awake. I flopped to the floor and vaguely heard Sikowitz call for the curtains to close.

"Poor Tori!" I heard Cat exclaim.

"Yeah, I'll go get her dress off," Jade added, quick to jog over to me. She was going to **what**? Strong but gentle hands pulled me from the floor and held me close. I knew it was Jade when I fell against her and inhaled her scent. She got me moving and I grinned at her helpfulness.

"You smell so good," I mumbled.

"Don't be a Sinjin," she replied, pushing me down into a seat. I looked around to see that we were in the dressing room backstage.

"Why are we here again?" I questioned.

"To get you out of that dress," Jade answered evenly.

"Oh," I murmured, slumping into the chair. I was mostly dead weight while she worked but I was aware enough to know that she was fast and efficient. I was too out of it to care that she would see me almost naked. She yanked on my clothes and pressed me back into the chair when I tried to get up.

"Stay," she commanded. I listened. It felt better sitting anyway. I leaned back and my eyes started to flutter closed.

**~Jade~**

It was a good thing Vega was out of it because the blush that was taking over my face was ridiculous. It was easy enough getting the dress off her, but seeing beyond it? I breathed out a sigh of approval and hung the dress over my arm. Vega didn't have to know that I helped get her dressed. Besides, as curious as I was, I respectfully kept my hands to myself. I changed into the dress and got ready to take Vega's place. I had just gotten done when the door opened and I turned to see Cat peeking in.

"Is the dress off?" she inquired. I nodded and pointed to myself. Cat came in and Sikowitz followed right after her.

"Somebody looking for the best dang steamboat captain this here river's ever seen?" I asked him. He shook his head at me and I threw up my hands.

"She can't play the role and I'm the understudy," I argued.

"I don't care. You've been acting like a gank all week. I'm not going to reward you by letting you play the lead," he protested, arms crossed.

"There's an audience out there. The show must go on," I said with a sweep of my hand at the door.

"Yes. Yes, it must…and must it shall," he mumbled. I saw an idea forming and I didn't like it.

"Change and bring the dress to me," he ordered, promptly striding out of the room. I looked at Cat but she only shrugged and left too. I groaned in exasperation but changed out of the dress and back into my own clothes.

"Jade?" Vega muttered sleepily.

"What?" I replied, a bit terse.

"I wanna see the play," she requested. I pinched at the bridge of my nose but walked over to haul her off the chair. She swayed but remained standing with my arm around her waist and her arm around my shoulders. She gripped my shirt and leaned into me when we started walking. I brought the dress to Sikowitz and he rushed off with it. I stayed where I was off to the side of the stage and concentrated on adjusting my grip each time Vega threatened to hit the ground. Why in the world would she insist on watching the stupid play when she was in such a condition? And where was Sikowitz? Minutes later he appeared wearing the dress. The play began again with him in the lead role. The role I tried hard to get and Vega earned so easily. And now neither of us had it. I watched the play with a scowl, never moving even when Cat came bouncing over to stand next to me. Vega had been alternating between humming to the songs and falling asleep. Suddenly, she pulled up on my shoulder so that she was standing a bit straighter. I gripped her waist tighter to make sure she was supported.

"Did…did they get the Pontiac out of Robbie?" she inquired. I didn't say a word, still stewing over the lost role.

"They sure did, Tori," Cat answered.

"Yay…" she whispered, starting to fall again. With a loud sigh I scooped her into my arms and headed for the exit. I heard Cat giggling behind me and rolled my eyes. Stupid Vega made me soft. Maybe Beck was right after all. I looked down at Vega who was lightly snoring and decided to take her home. It was the least I could do.


	24. Prom Wrecker

**I know I've been gone a while but a combo of being busy and not feeling like writing sure took a toll. I feel like it might take me a while to get back in the swing of things so let me know what you think of this one. Hope it isn't too off the mark. Enjoy.**

* * *

**~Tori~**

I peeked out from around the corner I was hiding behind in the main hall, my eyes on the two across from me. One of them being my friend who I had almost walked in on while he was having a…moment with his special someone. I quickly ran to hide and have been spying ever since. I wondered why he didn't tell me he had a new girlfriend. I thought we shared everything with each other. After all, I told him things I didn't want **anyone** to know about. Cat came bouncing down the stairs and momentarily blocked my view. She called a cheery greeting when she saw me, walking over and stopping to stand next to me. She was like a sore thumb standing out in the open like that. She was going to ruin any chance I had at staying out of sight.

"Shh! Not now," I whispered to her, crouching back behind cover. Once my eyes were back on who I was spying on I grabbed her and pulled her behind the corner.

"Look," I pointed out, huddled behind her so that I was still hidden. She did as she was told and gasped.

"Whoa, daddy," she said when she saw Andre making out with a girl. I nodded.

"Andre's been working on his new little girlfriend over there for like ten minutes," I stated in disbelief. Heck, I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself. Okay, so maybe I was exaggerating at bit, but they hadn't stopped yet. Andre pulled back, looking like he was going to go, but then the girl just pulled him back to her and they resumed. Cat and I watched on in awe until I felt someone behind me. Whoever it was stood way too close, setting off warning bells. I almost jumped when Jade's voice spoke in my ear.

"Ok, is Andre trying to swallow that girl?" she observed. I could practically see the distaste in her expression just by the tone of her voice. I risked a glance at her once she gave me space to see that the expression I imagined was the exact one she was wearing.

"No, I...I think they're just kissing," Cat responded unnecessarily. Jade lifted a brow at her. We turned to see that Andre was finally done and was stepping away. The two were saying their farewells and then they were going their separate ways.

"Here he comes! Here he comes! Don't let him know we were watching him, ok?" I told both of them, but mainly Cat. She tended to say too much.

"What's up?" Andre questioned while walking towards us.

"Nothing," I answered.

"Just hanging," Jade said at the same time. Good. We all played it cool.

"We were not watching you kiss that girl," Cat spoke up.

"Cat!" I exclaimed, glaring at her. Jade sighed and hung her head in disappointment. Cat only smiled.

"It's all right. Hope you all enjoyed the show," he responded with a smug chuckle. A phone went off and Cat looked at her phone.

"Oh, it's my brother," she announced. Jade gasped next to me.

"Did he get me the stuff?" she asked. The stuff? What stuff?

"Yeah. He says he got you the clown costume, the power drill, and twelve gallons of blood," Cat listed. What in the world did she need that for? I caught Andre's eyes and he shrugged.

"Wow. Where did he find twelve gallons of fake blood?" Jade asked.

"You wanted _fake_ blood?" Cat replied, making Andre, Jade, and I stare at her.

"I'll go call my brother," she said, turning to leave.

"So, should I ask why you want blood, a drill, and a clown suit?" I questioned Jade, moving to open my locker. I glanced at her to see a hint of a sly smirk before my back was turned. She followed to stand nearby.

"It's for a live performance I'm doing," she answered.

"Ah," I replied, popping open my locker.

"What's it about?" Andre inquired. I pulled out the binder I needed and shut my locker then turned to face her.

"A clown. And a parachute. That doesn't open," she said, voice and expression eerily calm. Man, it creeped me out when she did that.

"What's it called?" I asked next, exchanging a look with Andre who looked back at me with wide eyes. Jade dug around in her bag before pulling out a paper to hand to me. I turned it around so that I could get a good look at it.

"'Clowns Don't Bounce'," I read, pausing to fix the bent corner in order to give myself something to do besides frown in horror at the images those words provoked. Jade merely nodded.

"They don't," Andre said with a shrug.

"No," Jade agreed. I held out the flyer in front of me as I took the lead, appalled at what that performance would look like.

"They don't do that," Andre mumbled.

"Come to the show, you'll see why," Jade told him. We walked down the hall and stopped when we ran into Robbie and Rex at the stairs.

"What's up, Rob?" Jade greeted, strangely in a good mood now. I was pretty sure it had to do with successfully creeping me out.

"What's up?" Andre said.

"Hey," I added, placing the flyer in my binder and coming to a stop. Jade stayed at my side while Andre was headed up the stairs. He stopped when Rex groaned.

"What's wrong with Rex?" he questioned.

"We went to the Northridge Prom this weekend," Robbie explained.

"Oh, those Northridge girls. I feel like a prom bomb went off in my head," Rex groaned pitifully. I exchanged a look with Jade who was grinning, entertained that someone wasn't feeling good. Even if he was just a puppet. Rex leaned back into Robbie for support and I swore I caught a glimpse of something on his neck. Was that…no. He was a freaking puppet for crying out loud. How was that even possible? Rex groaned again.

"And I have a stomach virus," he stated. Robbie was instantly worried. He covered Rex's mouth and rushed up the stairs. We watched him go until a thought hit me.

"Hey, when is our prom?" I asked. Jade made a face and crossed her arms.

"We don't have a prom," she said, like I was stupid for asking.

"What?" I gasped.

"Proms are stupid," Jade stated factually.

"I love proms," I disagreed.

"Which makes sense 'cause you're you and proms are stupid," she countered with a one shouldered shrug before walking off. I glared at her the whole way until she disappeared. Sometimes I really didn't know why I liked her at all. Andre seemed to be on the same track as me.

"I have no clue what you see in her, chica," he muttered with a shake of his head. I sighed but nodded.

"Me neither," I whined, walking away with my head down.

**~Jade~**

No matter how much I like Vega, messing with her never got old. That face she makes when she's upset or appalled is just too funny. But when she's upset or angry…I can't help but find her a bit more attractive. She's feisty, a fighter. That alone attracts me to her. When it really matters she fights back. I wrote down the next lecture slide while my free hand fiddled with the new accessory I just recently obtained. It was a ring I liked to wear on my middle or ring finger interchangeably. The band was made of smooth black steel. A bright red star decorated it. I rubbed a finger over the surface and smiled to myself. That particular shade of red always held interest for me. It was the vivid color of blood, because it was blood.

Vega's blood to be exact. I just so happen to know a guy that made the weirdest jewelry ever. Of course, that was other people's opinion. I thought they were a work of art. Which he also dabbled in from time to time. He encased small animals or insects in resin and put them on display or fixed them in jewelry. He turned bones into rings or teeth into necklaces. He painted canvases with blood which he took great lengths to preserve. Naturally, I had to ask him if there was a way that I could keep a piece of Vega with me, and the ring I wore was the product of his hard work. I planned to never take it off unless necessary.

"Miss West, would you mind gracing us with your presence? Or would you rather brood in the corner as usual?" our teacher's voice stated, bringing me out of my thoughts. No one dared to laugh or even smile. Instead, they all stared at me, waiting for a retort. I scowled back at the teacher and slipped the ring back on my finger.

"Sure, but only if you make the lesson a little more interesting. You can't expect anyone to listen with a boring voice like that," I commented flippantly. I heard some students gasp under their breath while others waited for the inevitable punishment that was sure to come for talking out of hand.

"Jade West!" the teacher reprimanded, standing ramrod straight in offense. I only smirked. Like he would really have the guts to do anything. For all the things I said in his class I have yet to get any punishment. He was too much of wuss to try. I knew I scared him. He knew it. Everyone knew it. So as expected he continued with the lesson after grumbling to himself. After that first offense he thought he could report me to my father and he would straighten me out. Poor shmuck. My father showed up to berate him for wasting his time and stormed out after a quick glare at me. It was his silent way of telling me to behave. I guess after being scared half to death by my father he didn't want to start trouble with me. That was really the only thing my father has ever been good for. With class carrying on I decided to return my attention to the lecture.

**~Tori~**

I quickly lost myself in lessons but tuned back in when I walked into Sikowitz's class. Jade was seated in a chair close to my usual seat. When Beck was absent she rarely left her seat in the back. So why did she move now? I eyed her when I sat down, anxiously awaiting some kind of prank, but she barely even glanced at me. Class began and I relaxed with time. I tried to listen to Sikowitz but the whole prom thing was still on my mind. Not the part about Jade being mean, which was rude and uncalled for, but the fact that we didn't have one. By the end of class I came up with an idea to fix that. I waited until everyone left before approaching our crazy teacher. When I told him what I found out he looked shocked.

"Wait, what do you mean there's no prom at Hollywood Arts?" he questioned, taking a seat on the stairs of the small stage. I leaned on the back of a chair.

"There isn't. There's never been one," I told him.

"You're sure there's never been a prom here with coyotes and a big pile of burning tires?" he asked, twirling his finger in a circle to mimic the pile of tires. I stared at him, confused.

"This doesn't ring a bell?" he continued.

"No. I don't think that stuff happens at proms," I responded. He hummed and turned to walk away but stopped and spun back around.

"Wait, why are we talking about proms?" he inquired.

"'Cause I wanna have one here," I answered with a smile at his forgetfulness.

"Oh, well you need to talk to the Head of Student Activities," he informed me.

"I am. Right now," I said before he could walk away. He looked at me with complete confusion. He began looking around for some other person before waving at the air like there might be someone right in front of him.

"Sikowitz, you're the Head of Student Activities," I reminded him.

"Really?" he responded, hands on his chest in awe. He sounded so touched, like he was just awarded the position.

"Yes. So can we have a prom?" I asked hopefully.

"Yes," he decided.

"Yay! Thank you," I said, hopping in place with excitement.

"But…" he began. I groaned and stopped hopping. He strode onto the stage and pulled out an oven mitt from the podium, holding it out in front of him.

"It's got to either be this Saturday or last Tuesday," he announced, flipping it around as if it was a card. Eccentricities aside, at least I could have one. Hold on.

"Wait, this Saturday? But that only gives us, like, five days to get everything ready," I responded.

"Then you'd best hurry," he advised. I nodded, already planning. He looked down at what he held and seemed to finally realize what it was.

"This is an oven mitt," he stated, setting it aside a moment later.

"Ok, ok, ok. I can do this. Just a couple questions," I told him.

"Please, later. I really need to take my grandmother to the hospital," Sikowitz stated.

"Oh, sure. Ok," I accepted, making a note to ask him at another time. I moved to leave when I saw him walk to the window. He leaned out and picked up an old woman who he draped over his shoulder. My mouth fell open.

"Oh my God, I didn't know she was here," I stated, shocked. He hurried past me to the door.

"It's okay. Neither does she," he replied, walking out the door. And here I thought he couldn't get any weirder.

**~Jade~**

All in all, I'd say today turned out fine. I looked forward to my planned performance on Saturday. I was told the gore was a bit much but they eventually allowed it. That is, until I caught wind of some news that ruined the whole day for me. No, not the whole day. More like the whole week! I almost couldn't believe that Vega had the audacity to cross me. But then again, that was something I liked about her. She equally wazzed me off and drew me in. I tried to change Sikowitz mind but he held firm. Then I got the news that Vega was holding her little meeting in the Black Box. I waited for them to gather before showing up. If she thought she could pull this off without a hitch then she was dead wrong. I wasn't going to make it easy on her. In fact, I'm going to make her regret she ever wanted to have a stupid prom. I bet she didn't even have a clue what she was doing. I approached the double doors and listened in, hearing Vega telling everyone to settle down.

"All right, I created this little computer model of the Asphalt Café," Vega began.

"That's where we have lunch," Cat pointed out.

"Yes, it sure is," Vega agreed. I snickered at the tone of her voice. I would call it condescending but I knew she didn't mean it that way. Vega was too nice for her own good.

"Are we gonna talk about this prom or what?" Rex spoke up.

"Ok, since you mentioned prom a lot of people have told me they don't want Hollywood Arts to have a 'normal prom', so the first idea I came up with is we call it a 'prome', right?" Vega suggested. I rolled my eyes. That was really stupid. There was a mumble of response.

"Yeah, prome, you're a genius. Now get on with it. I had a burrito for lunch," Rex stated. I imagined that Vega was probably sporting that scrunched face she made when she didn't approve of something.

"Thank you, Rex. Now decorations. Any ideas for a prome theme?" Vega continued.

"Ok, ok. What if, ok, what if the theme was like space pirates? You know, from outer space? Oh, and there could also be kangaroo babies! Yeah? Yes?" Cat explained excitedly. Hopefully Vega wasn't dumb enough to listen to anything Cat said. Everyone fell silent for a while before Vega went on.

"Look, we only have a few days to put this prome together so we need a simple theme," she advised.

"Balloons are fun," Robbie suggested.

"My father owns a rubber factory," Sinjin added.

"And they have balloons?" Vega asked.

"Oh yes," Sinjin replied.

"All right, good. Now, Andre, you and I'll book the band, which will play up here. And…Andre!" Vega suddenly shouted. That boy really had to stop making out with that chick. I swear I saw them stuck together more often than not.

"Mmm! Yeah yeah, rubber bands, sounds good," he stammered. Judging by the short silence I assumed he went back to making out. I huffed under my breath, impatient. I had enough of this idiotic meeting.

"Ok, now next time we should probably talk about-" Vega began to say, but I took that moment to barge in, kicking the door open and stomping in.

"Oh, hey Jade. Did you wanna-" Vega greeted, beginning to ramble. My scowl deepened at the sound of her unconcerned tone. When I reached her I slammed the laptop in front of her shut and shoved the rolling podium it was on out of my way so that we were standing face to face.

"You just had to have your stupid prom this Saturday night?" I spat in her face.

"We're calling it a 'prome'," she corrected, unfazed. I grit my teeth.

"I was supposed to do my performance this Saturday night. Now Sikowitz says I can't 'cause you booked the Asphalt Café for your stupid prom!" I shouted at her.

"Prome," she corrected once more. Ooh, how I wanted to smack her and kiss her at the same time.

"Cancel it!" I demanded.

"No," she retorted, brows furrowing and strength in her voice. I almost backed down but bounced back fairly quickly.

"N-no?!" I questioned angrily.

"No!" she repeated with conviction.

"No?" I challenged her.

"No," she decided, voice now even. I nodded, my fury dissipating to be replaced with barely simmering irritation. I stepped away from her, backing up.

"Ok. All right, have your prome. But know this, you're gonna wish you didn't," I promised, turning away to shove the door open. It slammed against the wall with the force. I was long gone by the time it closed.

**~Tori~**

Jade sounded so angry. I didn't like having to stare down her wild fury, but it was starting to get a bit easier. Whether that was because of the thing we had or I'm just getting better at standing up to her I really don't know. Either way, she was totally wazzed off and possibly planning to kill me in my sleep. But I couldn't think about that right now. I still had a lot of planning to do. Since no prome should be without a prome queen and king I created a voting system online. That way it got the word out to everyone in time for the prome. Ugh, I had so much to do still! I got to work as soon as I could, not stopping until I had everything where I needed it.

I couldn't even stop to decide if I wanted to take a date. There was just no time and I wouldn't know who to ask. That was kind of a bummer, but at least I got a prome in the first place. I just have until the end of the day. How exciting! Just a few more hours! All I had left was to go home, get ready, and come back earlier than when it would start to make sure everything was going according to plan. I skipped out of my last class and headed to my locker. I rounded the corner and ended up crashing into someone. A tight grip steadied me before I could fall, shoving me back and almost making me fall again.

"Vega," Jade grumbled reluctantly, staring me down. I brushed my hair from my face and gulped. I hadn't seen Jade the whole week. I could only imagine what she was planning. I thought she would spring it on me any minute, but after expecting that the first two days I realized that she would most likely put her plans into motion on the night of the prome. I wasn't going to let that happen.

"Jade," I replied, standing up straight, ready for anything.

"I was actually looking for you," she continued, her voice lightening. Except for that. What was she up to?

"Yeah?" I responded, cautious but willing to listen. She nodded once.

"I figured you put all your time in that disaster going down Saturday night that you forgot to even ask anyone to go with you," Jade said knowingly. Her brow quirked, challenging me to contradict her.

"How do you know? I could have asked someone," I responded, crossing my arms.

"Oh? Who?" she questioned. I opened my mouth, ready to say a random name, but she held up a finger.

"Now, no lying or I'll know," she warned. I stammered, hesitating. Why didn't I just continue with the lie? How could she possibly know whether I was telling the truth or not? I could just act like my date was late or couldn't show up because of food poisoning or something. But no, I hesitated instead and all it did was pull that smirk of confidence on her face.

"So you didn't ask anyone," she stated. I frowned but owned up to it and shook my head, looking away.

"Have you even picked out something to wear?" she teased. I looked at her and grinned with triumph.

"Actually, yes. Yes I did," I told her proudly.

"Prove it," she tested. Without thinking I yanked out my phone and showed her a picture of the dress I would be wearing. I had taken it to show my mom and get her opinion on it. I was glad I hadn't deleted the picture yet.

"Ha!" I shouted, shoving the phone in her face. She grabbed my wrist and pushed it back so that she could properly look at, letting her hand rest on my wrist while she studied the picture.

"Well, hopefully it looks better on you than the hanger," she muttered, letting go and turning away. I stood there frozen in place with my hand still holding out the phone. Was that a compliment or a criticism? Did I even care? Well, maybe. Sorta. Yes. I sighed and dropped my hand, looking up in time to see Jade walk out the door to the parking lot. I jumped when my phone started ringing. I looked at the screen to see that it was Trina. I didn't answer. She was most likely going to yell at me to hurry up, so I did so without having to hear her tell me to.

* * *

THE PROME IS READY!

I think. I hope! ARRGGHHH!

I'm NERVOUS!

Feeling: Festive

* * *

Wow. It looked great! All the lights and the balloons. All the hard work really paid off. A bunch of people showed up too. I descended the stairs with a megaphone and Pear Pad in hand, going over what needed to be taken care of.

"Ok, lights, done. Band, on the way. Decorations…" I mumbled, stopping to glance around. My gaze landed on Sinjin holding a balloon with his tongue out.

"Sinjin, do not lick the balloons!" I shouted at him through the megaphone. He stopped to look at me before letting the poor balloon go. Good. I sighed before turning to address Andre.

"Hey, Andre, will you go check the- Andre!" I yelled, finally getting his attention. He was always so caught up in kissing his girlfriend. It was hard enough planning all this. The least he could do was listen when I needed him to help me. He pulled away to look at me.

"Sorry," he said before turning to his girlfriend.

"Why don't you go get us some punch?" he suggested. She smiled and threw herself at him but he held her at bay.

"No, no, baby, punch first, please," he said, gently pushing her away until she got the hint.

"Ok, keep those lips warm," she told him, walking away.

"Oh, I will. I'm gonna do that," he shouted after her, forcing a laugh. As soon as she was out of earshot he frowned.

"I'm getting sick of that girl," he stated.

"Then why are you _always_ kissing her?" I asked.

"She won't stop. I keep trying to talk, listen to music, get to know each other better, but to her, I'm just a pair of sweet buttery lips," he complained.

"Awww," I replied, sympathetic.

"Hey, who's your date?" he inquired. Not that again! Knowing Andre he wouldn't leave me alone about the conversation with Jade if he knew it happened so I played it off like I forgot. Which I had when Jade brought it up. Now I was just dateless and anxiously waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Oh! I knew I forgot something," I groaned in a mix of despair and frustration. Andre raised his eyebrows at me.

"Uh, maybe I can just dance with you and Robbie…" I proposed. Speaking of Robbie, I wonder if he had any luck with Cat. Everyone knew how much he liked her and the redhead didn't even have a clue. Robbie thought Cat was lying to him about her date but I personally knew that she wasn't. I've seen the guy before and it was all true. There really was such thing as a jock named Tug who worked at Bed, Bath &amp; Yonder. Yet Robbie still wouldn't believe it.

"Yep," Andre agreed, helpful as ever.

"Well, hey there, promers," Jade greeted as she strode over to us. I shared a look with Andre before turning to Jade.

"Uh, what are you doing here?" I questioned, even though I knew exactly what she was doing.

"Hmm, well, I didn't have anything else to do, Beck is in Canada, and you got my performance canceled, so here I am. At your prome," she replied innocently before walking around me and then off into the crowd. The problem was, I knew she wasn't innocent. She had something planned. I just knew it. Andre and I watched her go.

"She's totally going to get back at you," he stated.

"I know," I accepted.

"Well, I got stuff to do," I carried on, walking off to take the stairs up to the platform above. When I got there I turned off the music to get everyone's attention.

"Ok, everyone. Gather round. Welcome to the first ever Hollywood Arts prome!" I announced into the mic. Everyone cheered.

"That's right! Yeah! Ok, ok, the band will be here soon. But until then, if you haven't voted for prome queen and king, you still have time," I stated.

"Yes, remember to vote! 'Cause anyone can win!" I heard Trina shout from the crowd. She nudged Sinjin and he smiled. What was that all about?

"Just use your phones to go to The Slap. And remember, you can only vote for one queen and one king, so-" I explained, stopping when the large screen we set up behind me suddenly showed static. The lights followed, shutting off.

"What's going on?" someone shouted.

"Ok, uh, guys. It's ok. It looks like the electricity went out, so just relax until-" I tried to shout down to them. Without the microphone I really had to project my voice. I was cut off by everyone screaming and pointing at something behind me. I turned around and screamed when I saw what was playing on the screen. Andre appeared next to me.

"Hey, hey, what is that? It's freaking everybody out," he said.

"I-I don't know," I stammered, moving to address the crowd.

"Guys, guys, give me five minutes to work this out. I am so sorry," I yelled over the scary music and shrieking. Suddenly, Jade was leaning on the rail next to me.

"Hey, Tori. How's your prome going?" she casually inquired. Jade. Of course it was her.

"Turn on the power, turn off that freakish video, and then go home!" I ordered, pointing a finger at her and then at the screen before dropping my hands to clench at my sides.

"And miss the rest of this prome? No. I think the fun's just begun," Jade replied.

"Yeah, well, think again. 'Cause there's not gonna be any more of your stupid little pranks," I told her, unwilling to back down. I was prepared for Jade to react with anger but she was as calm as ever. She put a hand on her hip and cocked it.

"Oh. Then you better tell that shrimp in your bra," she stated, walking off. What? I turned to Andre.

"Shrimp in my bra?" I wondered. I dug my hand down the front of my top, literally fishing around. It took a moment, but to my surprise, there really was a shrimp in my bra. I yanked it out in shock that Andre mirrored on his face.

"How did she do it?" I asked him, seriously confused. He only shook his head. I turned and took the stairs back down, throwing the shrimp away as I went. I was on my way to find Jade when she found me.

"Jade, are you done with your little sabotage game?" I questioned, beyond frustrated.

"Done with what little sabotage game?" she replied in a southern accent. Just then Andre cut in followed by silence.

"Hey, Sinjin found the projector and killed the crazy video," he told me. I sighed in relief, noting Jade's small frown.

"Good, good. Now we've just gotta-" I began, stopping to grin when all the lights turned back on and the music started again. Jade's frown deepened.

"Take that, you freak demon," I said through the megaphone which I pointed at Jade. I liked the girl, but she wasn't going to get away with this. It was my night and it was going to go my way. She only stared at me so I turned away to address the crowd.

"Ok, people, this prome is back in action so-" I started to say when Robbie came up to me.

"Hey, did you call the band and find out why they're late?" I asked him.

"Yeah, their manager said you called and canceled them," Robbie replied.

"No, I didn't cancel the band," I responded.

"Uh oh! Looks like Tori Vega's prom has turned into one big boobity-boo!" Jade stated in that dang accent. She then strode away, but I wasn't going to let her so I followed.

"Prome!" I shouted at her. She weaved through the crowd ahead of me until I lost sight of her. With a frustrated grunt I pushed past people and continued my search. She wasn't going to get away.

* * *

Hey JADE – WHERE ARE

YOU?! I will FIND YOU!

Feeling: Rage

* * *

**~Jade~**

It was easy enough to lose Vega in the crowd. Unlike her I wasn't afraid to carve a path and tread on any unsuspecting toes while I was at it. I headed into the school for a break and something to drink, biding my time until the rest of my plan fell into place. I wasn't done yet. Vega would soon see. I opened the can of Wahoo Punch and took a sip just as Vega came marching in. I took in her outfit and decided it did look better on her. It wasn't hard to get her to show me what she would be wearing so that I could match. As lame as it is, I still wanted to wear something that connected me to her since I couldn't be her date. I was almost surprised to find a dress similar to it, but then again, I usually got what I wanted. The store manager understood that pretty fast.

"Hey! Are you gonna stop!" Vega yelled, running over to stand in front of me. I stared at her a moment before replying.

"Nah, I'm still pretty thirsty," I answered, taking another drink. Her brows furrowed and she stepped forward to snatch the can from my hand.

"Give it back," I demanded.

"Sure, yeah," she replied, raising it to her mouth so that she could lick all over the top. I narrowed my eyes at her. How immature. Did she really think I cared about her spit all over my drink? I've wanted to kiss her so many times this was practically the same thing.

"Here," she said, finally done making out with the can and handing it back.

"Thanks," I said, taking a drink as soon as I had it back.

"Ahh," I sighed, making it obvious that I didn't care.

"You just leave my prom alone," she stated.

"Maybe now you know what it feels like to plan something and then have it ruined by someone else," I retorted.

"You're such a big baby," she responded.

"Weird you just said that," I said with a smile when I heard rock music playing. Right on time. I leaned around Vega to see two guys come in.

"Doug, over here!" I called to them. Vega turned around.

"Oh my God," she stated, shocked at the large man in nothing but a giant shiny 'D' necklace, shoes, and a diaper. A short guy carrying a boom box on his shoulder followed him over.

"You Tori Vega?" Doug questioned, pointing at her.

"She sure is," I acknowledged, pushing her forward. Vega stammered.

"What is that?" she asked me.

"I'm Doug the Diaper Guy," Doug answered.

"Yeah, and?" Vega said.

"I do parties. I was hired to come here and do my thing!" he shouted animatedly.

"Hired?" Vega repeated, glancing at me.

"Yeah," I said with a smile, chuckling. I took a sip of my drink. Vega looked back at Doug.

"And what is your thing?" she questioned.

"I sing. I dance. I pee my pants. I'm Doug the Diaper Guy!" he sang terribly. I watched on, entertained by Vega's facial expressions.

"Come on Rico. Let's go out there and shake up the party," he announced to the shorter guy. He danced out and Rico turned up the boom box. Vega spun on me.

"You're sick. You are a sick person," she stated.

"You're just now figuring that out?" I countered, walking away. She might have seen me at my best but I had to see how she handled my worst. Yes, I was angry that she ruined any chance I had at putting on my performance, but it was also a test. A test to see if Vega would crack or hold strong. I heard screaming coming from outside and then Vega running out.

"Hey, stop that man in the diaper!" she yelled. I smirked. So far, I had to admit she was doing a fairly decent job of keeping her head.

**~Tori~**

I ran as fast as I could outside. Doug was busy dancing among the crowd. Some people stared and some laughed while others just shrugged it off.

"Oh no," I groaned. I had to fix this. And possibly get back at Jade in the process. I watched in despair as a few people left. I wanted to stop them but it wouldn't help to make more of a scene.

"Hey, hey," Andre said, coming up to me.

"What now?" I whined.

"Lots of people are starting to leave," he informed me. Yeah, like I didn't see that myself.

"It's not even ten o' clock," I replied.

"They're mad 'cause there's no band, there was a freaky video," Andre's date chimed in.

"And, uh, Doug's diaper doesn't really fit him too well," Andre finished uncomfortably. Just then Doug shouted and I flinched.

"Ok fine, whatever. Everyone can just go. Jade wins!" I shouted. I have had enough.

"Uh, excuse me," Trina said, having been nearby when I shouted. She made her way over.

"This prome isn't over until you announce prome king and queen," she emphasized, gesturing to herself. As much as I wanted to question her about that I couldn't because I just got an idea.

"You guys wait here," I said, rushing back to the platform.

"Bye, sorry the prome was so lame. We can only blame Tori. Drive safe," Jade said in farewell to more people who were leaving. I glared at her before grabbing the mic.

"You guys, everybody, please wait. Don't leave. Look, I'm sorry that the prome hasn't gone so great," I began.

"Yeah, you failed!" Jade shouted. I took a breath before continuing.

"But, before you all leave, I'd like to announce our prome king and queen, who you all voted for on The Slap," I said, picking up the Pear Pad.

"Okay, and Hollywood Arts first ever prome queen is…" I began, referring to the device in my hand. It counted up the votes and the result almost surprised me if I hadn't know the lengths my sister would go to get such a title. I knew she was behind it somehow. Sometimes her antics were helpful, like the time she distracted Mrs. Lee for me while we put on Jade's play, but then she pulled something like this. But it didn't really matter who won at this point because I had a better pick in mind.

"Jade West!" I announced.

"What?" she growled, slender brows digging into her nose. Everyone cheered around her but she stood glaring at me. I knew she was smart enough to know that I was about to get back at her.

"That's right. Congratulations, Jade," I said, grinning at what was to come.

"No, stop congratulating me! I am not your stupid prome queen! Don't touch me!" she yelled, struggling to get away from the crown bearer who was trying to place it on her head. A struggle in the crowd drew my eyes to Trina who angrily manhandled Sinjin. Just as I thought.

"And Hollywood Arts first ever prome king is…" I counted up the votes just for show before revealing someone entirely different.

"Doug the Diaper Guy!" I announced. Doug cheered like he just won the lottery and Jade's mouth fell open in complete shock. I never saw her so caught off guard.

"What! Are you kidding me?" she screamed over the crowd while Doug happily accepted his crown. I cheered for them and laughed when Doug scooped Jade off her feet so fast her crown flew off. Rico ran after them, rock music blaring.

"Ok, let's rock this prome!" I shouted to the crowd. Music started playing and everyone cheered. In one fell swoop I got the prome back on track and got rid of Jade. It wasn't even weird when Sikowitz showed up with some tires and gasoline. But I did have to tell him not to light them on fire. I sang a song with Andre before letting everyone enjoy the prome. I stepped off the platform and headed toward the school just in time to see Doug and Rico run away screaming, Doug's face bruised and Rico scared out of his mind. An angry screech was heard and then their boom box narrowly missed them, crashing into the ground and skidding to a stop in a heap of broken plastic and wires. Jade looked like a raging panther, teeth bared and eyes blazing.

"You're lucky I'm letting you get away without a broken bone!" she shouted at them, brandishing Doug's broken crown in her fist. Doug and Rico quickly disappeared. I carefully approached Jade, glade that she allowed me to remove the potential weapon from her hand. I threw it away and turned back to see her stomp into the school. I quickly followed her. I caught the door before it closed and carefully walked in, cautious. I spotted Jade sitting on the stairs. I walked over, not knowing what to say.

"Jade? I'm-" I tried to say, but she held up a hand to silence me. My mouth seemed to snap shut without my permission. We stood in tense silence before Jade started laughing. I let out an uncomfortable chuckle before walking closer, taking it as a good sign and not one that meant Jade lost it.

"You are something else, Vega," she finally said, looking up at me. The look in her eyes was something I hadn't really seen before. It was like she was…impressed and amused. I relaxed a bit more, hoping it wasn't fake. Jade was a very convincing actress.

"Umm," I mumbled, not knowing what to say. Jade stood up and brushed off her dress absently.

"I thought you would crack under the pressure," she said. I tilted my head, questioning what she meant.

"I thought **you** already had," I answered anyway. She smirked and shrugged.

"I just wanted Doug to think I did so he would back off," Jade explained.

"You could have fooled me," I muttered.

"Don't I always?" Jade commented quietly. I looked up in time to catch a brief hint of vulnerability in Jade's stance and expression before she let out a deep breath and it disappeared.

"You passed the test," she stated.

"What? What test? There was a test?" I asked.

"Yep. The one I just gave you," she responded. I scratched my head over that and she scoffed.

"I've met many people in my life. Ninety-nine percent of the time they don't become my friend. I only reserve that for people who can tolerate me on my worst days. I learned long ago that I can't put my trust in anyone who can't do that. You just proved that you can. Actually, you proved that time and time again," she explained. I took a step forward and hesitantly rested a hand on her arm.

"I wouldn't ditch you for being a bit moody," I said with a shrug.

"A _bit_ moody?" Jade replied with a raised brow.

"Okay, a lot moody. Like, tantrum size," I amended playfully, dropping my hand. She allowed a small smile.

"The point is, you're a great person, Jade. Anyone can see that if they just gave you the chance. It's their loss if they don't want to get to know you," I told her, honest. Jade's small smile strengthened a bit before it slipped into a teasing smirk.

"Don't overdo it, Vega. I might think you're a liar if you lay it on too thick," she joked, nudging me. I laughed and nudged her back. When I moved to give her space she leaned into me, maintaining contact. I grinned, letting her. She looked down, eyes on the ring she twisted around her finger. That was new. I hadn't noticed it before. Instead of asking about it a sudden thought occurred to me.

"So, now that I've gained your trust, mind being honest with me?" I requested. Jade turned a puzzled expression on me but gestured for me to continue.

"How did you get that shrimp in my bra?" I inquired curiously.

"I think that should remain a mystery," Jade responded, smirking at my pout.

"Speaking of invading my personal space without me being aware, I might have remembered you, um, undressing me when you were trying to steal my part as Steamboat Suzy," I mentioned, blushing.

"Oh, that," Jade said with a forced cough, looking away. I glanced at her to see that while she was trying to hide her face I could still see that her own blush spread past her face. I smiled, happy to see that she was just as affected.

"Yeah, that. I was suffering from blood loss, not amnesia," I replied playfully. Jade picked at her nail, refusing to meet my eyes.

"I was respectful. I took off the dress and put on your clothes as efficiently as I could before putting on the dress," she explained, voice slightly wavering. It was touching to know Jade was chivalrous and sincere when it mattered most. She glanced at me once and caught me holding in my oncoming giggles. Instantly she was suspicious.

"What?" she demanded.

"It's just so cute how embarrassed and flustered you're getting," I teased.

"Shut up," she grunted, frown back in place, yet she didn't move away. I laughed before leaning in closer.

"Just so we're even, I may have seen a bit of you too when you were getting dressed," I admitted, thinking back to the blurry image of Jade's bare back in front of me. Even half out of it and I could still admire what I was seeing. She was just that beautiful. Jade's blush flared back to life and her eyes widened before she punched me in the arm.

"Ow!" I whined, rubbing at the offended limb.

"It's called privacy, Vega!" she reprimanded.

"Well, where was my privacy?" I retorted.

"You couldn't afford it. You couldn't even stand up let alone get dressed on your own," she bit back, starting to head for the exit.

"You're just mad because I made you embarrassed," I told her.

"No I'm not," she denied.

"Admit it," I said, poking at her arm.

"Touch me again and I'm punching you again. This time it won't be your arm," she threatened. I laughed and poked her, wiggling my brows at her when she shot me a glare. I remembered a time when it used to scare the chiz out of me. This time, not so much. I walked ahead and pushed open the door. I stepped out and into pouring rain which instantly soaked me. Jade laughed while I stood there shocked. I turned back to see her leaning against the door frame.

"Looks like you got what was coming to you," she remarked, smirking. I gave her a devilish grin and the smirk dropped, eyes widening when she realized what I was going to do when I raised my arms.

"Don't you dare. Vega!" she yelled, backing away. She tried to run for it but I snagged her by the wrist before she could get away and yanked her into a hug, pressing my soaked form against her. We stumbled back inside and the door shut behind us.

"Ugh!" she growled, struggling to get out of my hold.

"I'll get you for this! I swear I will! You'll see!" she shouted, pushing at me. I ignored her and just enjoyed having her in my arms. When I finally let her go, well after she stopped struggling and just gave in, she stood quietly half soaked and scowling.

"Is it too much to ask for a dance?" I inquired, half playful and half hoping. Without a word Jade shoved open the door and grabbed my arm, tugging me forward.

"You have a prome to get back to," she stated, pushing me out the door and back into the rain. I glanced back once to see her disappear inside before I walked away to seek out Andre. Everyone thanked me on their hurried way out to their cars. The rained slowed to a stop when the crew, Andre, and I started cleaning up. Out of nowhere Jade showed up to help. We did our part to clean up and started to head home. Andre and I parted only for Jade to take his place by my side. Without a word she held out her hand, her steady gaze on me. I placed my own hand in hers, now bare so that my hands could properly dry off. A crooked smile pulled at Jade's lips before our joined hands dropped between us and she started tugging me to her car.

When we got in she reached back to grab a blanket from the back and throw it me. I smiled as I wrapped myself in the warmth and she started the car, turning the heater on. While she drove I texted Trina to say I didn't need her to pick me up. I looked up when I sent it and caught Jade's eyes. For the second time that day I saw something in them that I hadn't seen before. Except this time, I had no idea what it could be. I only had a feeling that it was something good and that was enough for me. I grinned and Jade rolled her eyes before turning back to the road. What a secret softy. Despite all the twists and turns, up and downs, it was all worth it if Jade looked at me like that again.


End file.
